Group-think is a condition where a cohesive group of people come up with poorly considered courses of action and make bad choices as a result. A unit of people that become afflicted with group-think is typically a group that tends to know one another well, is cohesive, friendly with one another and tight-knit. Often people who have worked closely together for long periods of time develop a "like" manner in rationalization and thinking and this can unfortunately lead to bad decisions because of the complacent nature that emerges in the affected group.

It is a condition that can manifest and be difficult to break out of, but not impossible. Some common reasons are:

*People within the group may be afraid to "rock the boat"
*They don't want to offend their colleagues
*Perhaps have become complacent within the group setting
*They may have made some excellent decisions in the past and are over-confident that they have sound solutions

Thus, when new circumstances arise, groups affected by group-think may have a tendency to think within the box, without taking the opportunity to explore the diverse options located on the outside of that box. They are inclined to ignore alternatives and react negatively to the ideas of other people who are not inclusive of the group.

Their optimism and belief that they are correct in judgment often leads to a spiraling downfall. Many documented historical events have been attributed to "group-think". A few examples are some of President Johnson and his Administration's decisions made during the Vietnam War, NASA's decision to launch the Challenger when there was something wrong with one of the one of the rings, and even President Bush and his current Administration have been deemed affected by group-think. These are just a few examples, but studies have arisen that relate to situations of group-think. As you can see, the effects of group-think can be vast and serious.

There are many strategies to deter the tendencies to avoid the pit-falls of group-think. Utilizing these strategies may help pull the group into a clearer, more refined and diverse way of thinking. Here are a few:

*In the group setting, appoint an outside person to challenge the group into considering diversity in mind-set
* Appoint a member to play "devil's advocate" and help steer the group into exploring alternative ideas
*Select a leader to try and keep an unbiased focus on the issue.
*Encourage members to think critically and unbiased
*Promote willingness to express doubts in the decision making process
*The organization should set up independent evaluation groups

One can only wonder how many unethical decisions are made daily by the government and businesses that are caused by group-think. These poorly made choices affect not only the organization, but the people surrounding it that are impacted by organizational choices. It's important to recognize the signs of group-think and follow through on strategies to prevent it from impairing the sound decision making process.

Learn more about this author, Leigh Goessl.
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