How do you avoid groupthink in your team?

At times, it's valuable to get everyone on the same page; common goals and shared values are vital to the success of any group. However, some signs I've observed when a particular group has become intellectually incestuous include: (1) very few questions are asked in meetings, (2) traditions are valued over transitions, and (3) cults of leadership personalities prevail.

The company has a small low-tech, low-energy efficient glass house where plants spend up to five years inside because is a low turnaround. Instead of investing in a better glass house and a professional to manage it, the company assigned a low-cost worker to work this glass house to upset the losses of dumps and poor service.

I first learned about "groupthink" in a college course. It used the Kennedy Administration decision to go ahead with the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, despite all the bad warning signs, as the example of groupthink in action. The good news is that Kennedy learned from that disaster and had a much better team decision-making process in place when the Cuban Missile Crisis came later.

The way to avoid group think (IMHAOWO) is to #WHITEBOARDTHATSHIT !!! with my team...and, when we are done and feel as if we "got it"...the next group task is to "blow it up"...look for and ID gaps in thought...much like The Tenth Man Rule...(This idea postulates that in a group of ten people, when nine members arrive at the same conclusion, the tenth person should always disagree and point out the flaws of the group's conclusion, even if they agree.)

The Challenger disaster serves as a stark example of the disastrous consequences that can arise from groupthink in high-stakes decision-making situations. One key factors identified at the time was the overemphasis on consensus.

Groupthink can also be caused by insufficient decision-making procedures. A lack of structured processes for discussing, evaluating, and reaching decisions can contribute to groupthink. When a group does not have clear guidelines for decision-making, it may be more prone to falling into the trap of conforming to the majority opinion or favoring the ideas of more dominant members, without thoroughly examining all available options and viewpoints.

I think this also stems from low to inexistent psychological safety in the organisation. I also believe this type of culture can be the outcome of a combination of the factors mentioned here, which makes it complex to address.

When the company hired a sports big box manager, he came up with his ideas for managing a horticulture company. To minimize rejection, he placed his people in key positions. Then he started to eliminate all the horticulture people or anyone not loyal to his team, creating a lack of diversity and ideas from other professionals in the industry.

Group think (aka "Echo Chamber") is caused by weak leaders who only want "yes" around them...and the (so-called) leader enjoys it...and those "who come along to get along" get rewarded where those who ask "why is that??? I have a couple of questions I need to ask and have answered..." are punished (most recently....look at those who questioned COVID processes/protocols and how they were vilified)

The demand for loyalty, bullies, blame, nepotism, and lack of accountability creates a toxic environment driving good people to quit. HR battles to find good people to manage the organization. Or workers to do the heavy tasks. The company is losing customers every day. Employees are afraid to express an opinion or concern about the leadership, or systems because they will get antagonized and then fired. There is no safe way to communicate.

When everyone in a group is thinking the same way, there is a risk of losing out on diverse perspectives and ideas. This can stifle innovation and creativity, as there is less room for new and different ways of thinking. It is important to foster an environment that encourages and values diversity, allowing for a wider range of perspectives and ideas to be shared and considered. This can lead to more innovative and creative solutions to problems and challenges.

group think gets people killed/injured and creates distrust within the organization...and when that happens, re-gaining trust in leaders(hip) is very difficult to gain, if it can be gained back at all.

Building psychological safety is another crucial factor in preventing groupthink. Psychological safety refers to the state where individuals can comfortably express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns within a group without fearing judgment, ridicule, or negative consequences. In particular, a team coach or leader with team-coaching skills can cultivate a psychologically safe environment, enabling team members to confidently share their ideas, concerns, and disagreements without apprehension. This atmosphere fosters open dialogue and constructive feedback, facilitating the exploration of diverse perspectives and effectively mitigating the risk of groupthink.

One of the keys to avoid groupthink at work is to have a very diverse team and encourage open discussions. Encourage team members to voice their opinions in a safe environment that leaders have created. Assign a devil's advocate role to challenge prevailing ideas. Use anonymous brainstorming and decision-making methods. Rotate leadership roles to prevent one person from dominating discussions. Foster a culture where constructive criticism is welcomed, and create an environment that values independent thinking and innovation.

One thing I have found helpful is the use of the brain trust exercise. It involves a review of the scenario, in our case a business opportunity. We present our discovery to a group of people that is not involved and solicit feedback. Shoot holes in our assumptions and think about what else we have not asked the customer. It is a humbling exercise. Brain trust exercises make us better sellers because it is void of criticism. It allows us to gain new perspectives on a problem we have been working on.

When I left the company, no one asked me about my experience and suggestions for improvement. Therefore I wrote two letters to the owner with constructive feedback, and he never answered. That says it all. The company is not open to change, not diverse and independent opinions. Their aim is to maximize profits at any cost.

"Avoiding groupthink" could be an explicit objective and value that the team or meeting sets up front as an expectation. Don't assume everyone is familiar with the concept, so be able to share a concise description. Just sharing the description has value so people can recognize it when they see it and know what to call it. Once you have "avoiding groupthink" as an explicit objective, you can check in with the group every once in a while to see if anyone thinks you are going down that path.

To foster innovation we must empower team members to think and act on their own. To achieve this, we must communicate the benefits of standing out while still feeling aing, which will help the organization become more agile. Beyond recovering from groupthink, we need to establish a clear direction for progress. To do so, we must r sense of belongeplace old habits with new ones and provide our team with the tools and skills they need to sustain this positive change.