MBA Discussions

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BREAKING BAD: STOP DECEPTIVE GROUPTHINK

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

What do Pearl Harbor, the Chal- lenger space shuttle and the Y2K bug scare have in common? The an- swer: Groups’ decisions created negative conse- quences. It happens in business settings, too. In working with a management firm wanting to im- prove operations, I met with executives and man- agers individually and found, after three people, I could have copied and pasted their answers into each of my questionnaires. Everyone said not only the same thing, but in the same way. Upon inves- tigation, I uncovered a culture that unknowingly rewarded uniformity and discouraged disagree- ment. Owners thought the lack of differing opin- ions indicated a close, tight team. What it pro- duced, however, was a stagnant company not able to achieve higher results. It took several months to help them “break the bad.”

UNDERSTAND THE DISORDER Groupthink, a term created by psychologist Irving Janis, is what happens when people make a bad decision out of desire for group consensus. Social pressure exerts powerful influence. The more ho- mogenous or cohesive the group, the more suscep- tible it is to groupthink. But it’s not just the group: A person with manipulative skills can create a shared response from the masses. And individuals can dismiss their beliefs, self-censor and remain quiet in attempt to be part of the group or desire not to rock the boat.

RECOGNIZE THE EFFECTS Groupthink consequences are grave and reduce the probability of success. • Prevents critical thinking • Ignores or minimizes considerations of alterna-

tives • Fails to examine risks of the group’s decision • Through selective bias, uses only information

that supports their position and doesn’t give

weight to contrary evidence • Creates an oversimplified view of problems and

solutions

EMPLOY SMART-GROUP THINKING People feel pressure to conform. As a leader, you’re responsible to create an environment in which di- verse and contrary ideas are not only required, but applauded. Incorporate these techniques to foster smart-group thinking. • Leaders refrain from stating preferences. The

stronger the leader, the more work is needed to stop groupthink

• When your meeting starts, discuss the risks of groupthink and encourage awareness

• Don’t allow people to feel bullet-proof. Each member must feel responsible for the group’s ac- tions

• Require problems and contradictory views be shared

• Don’t allow negative comments in response to differing views

• Encourage comments that are inquisitive in na- ture

• A minimum of one strong member should serve the role of devil’s advocate to critically evaluate and question data, assumptions…everything

• Bring in outside experts and have them chal- lenge thinking

• Split the group into sub-groups to generate a decision, then bring together and compare out- comes

• Encourage members to discuss with people out- side the group and to bring those reactions back for consideration

Strong, supportive teams are a plus to an organi- zation; groupthink is not. Create an environment that supports smart-group thinking.

NATALIE D. BRECHER, CPM, (NBRECHER@ BRECHER ASSOCIATES. COM) IS PRESIDENT OF BRECHER ASSOCIATES IN REDONDO BEACH, CALIF.

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