Beyond GroupThink

In the best of all worlds, we, the members of our groups bring our ideas, skills and talents together, and all of a sudden, 1 + 1 =3. That is, the collective impact of what we are able to achieve is greater than the sum of the parts that any individual brings. I have found that this is more likely to happen in groups that adhere to a strong set of core values that create an environment of mutual respect, open and honest communication, transparency and accountability.

Adherance to core values goes beyond writing them down and having them printed on organizational literature. We must make sure that all decisions and actions we take within our organizations are done within the letter and the spirit of the core values. Anything less is lipservice. The litmus test is being able to adhere to the core values when tough decisions have to be made, or when conflicts arise. All too often, we fall short, and groupthink takes control.

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment” (p. 9). Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups or individuals within the group. A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when…