How can groupthink be avoided?

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The term “groupthink” is a play on the word “doublethink” from George Orwell’s novel, “1984.” Extensive research on groupthink was done by Irving Janis. In his 1972 book, “Victims of Groupthink,” Janis defined it as, “A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.”

In other words, if the people in a group are too focused on agreeing with each other or with an intimidating boss, that can be detrimental to their ability to analyze the situation and make a good decision. When a group is too cohesive, there might be a strong desire for unified consensus that prevents criticism or alternative ideas from being considered. In a functioning group of individuals, each member brings a unique perspective to the problem at hand. It is the interchange of ideas that leads to reaching the best decision.

Janis identified three major factors than can contribute to groupthink. One is the illusion of invulnerability which leads to unrealistic optimism and risky actions. Another problem is close-mindedness because over-confidence in the current plan can discourage re-assessment of past decisions. The third factor is pressure towards uniformity where challenges to group norms are viewed as a violation of group loyalty.

Janis wrote in 1982 about the negative results that groupthink can have on decision-making. Many of them have to do with inflexible, limited thinking in place of considering multiple options. Examples of such decision-making problems are poor information search and incomplete survey of objectives and of alternatives. Underlying other negative results is an over-confidence in the group’s ability to reach good decisions. Examples of that are failure to examine the risks of the preferred choice, or failure to reappraise initially rejected alternatives. Particularly damaging can be a failure to work out contingency plans in case there are unexpected obstacles. When the whole group is thinking along one particular line, they also develop a selective bias in processing the information at hand. They focus on the information that supports the group vision, and ignores evidence to the contrary.

The first step for avoiding groupthink is using good practices and planning. Formal, or at least structured, meeting procedures can keep people focused on the task at hand. Informal meetings often lead to socializing and the desire to nurture personal relationships which can discourage people from criticizing ideas or raising alternate possibilities. Agendas help ensure that all items for discussion receive the time they need. Planning ahead by having a balanced, capable work staff and by including competing views on the agenda, can also make a huge difference. Also important are human reactions to meetings such as exhaustion and boredom, which can hurt decision-making when people want to make a quick decision and leave.

A group leader can discourage groupthink by making it clear that critical thinking, dissent and objection are valued within the group. Differences of opinion are an opportunity for discussion rather than a problem to be solved through consensus. The group leader should maintain impartiality, focusing on the decision-making process of the group rather than on his or her own personal position on the problem.

There are many ways to ensure that more points of view are included in the discussion. There can be sub-committees that discuss separately and reconvene to share what each group came up with. Committee-members can discuss with colleagues outside the group or guest experts could be brought into the group to bring a fresh perspective.

It is important to point out possible weaknesses in every proposal especially in the proposal that is accepted by the group. One strategy is to have one of the group members assigned to play “devil’s advocate” to any suggested decision. Another is to have “second chance” meetings after the decision has been made where group members can discuss their remaining hesitations and concerns with the current decision.

With a better understanding of some possible pitfalls of group decision making and how to avoid them, the strength of group work is enhanced. The group is able to more effectively accomplish their goals.

Resource by Will

I am the editor for TheFreeResource.com, and owner of LinchpinSEO, a small business content creation company. The Free Resource has a select community of talented writers, teachers, and business people (and we are always looking for more) that bring you the most trusted resources on the web and credible articles about many topics.

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