![]() When morality is used as a basis for decision-making, the pressure to conform is even greater because no individual wants to be perceived as immoral. We are unstoppable!”Įach member of the group views him or herself as moral: The combination of moral minds is therefore thought not to be likely to make a poor or immoral decision. “Well if you really feel that we’re making a mistake you can always leave the team.”Īfter a few successes, the group begins to feel like any decision they make is the right one because there is no disagreement from any source. Peer Pressure happens when a team member expresses an opposing opinion or questions the rationale behind a decision, the rest of the team members work together to pressure or penalise that person into compliance. “Those other people don’t agree with us because they haven’t researched the problem as extensively as we have.” Rationalisation occurs when team members convince themselves that despite evidence to the contrary, the decision or alternative being presented is the best one. Groupthink may manifest in a number of different ways – ![]() ![]() Intense pressure from the outside to make a good decision.He suggested that Groupthink happens when there is: What he found was that a lack of conflict or opposing viewpoints led to poor decisions, because alternatives were not fully analyzed, and because groups did not gather enough information to make an informed decision. Janis coined the term “Groupthink,” and published his research in the 1972 book, “ Groupthink.” His findings came from research into why a team reaches an excellent decision one time, and a disastrous one the next. Often that only becomes clear with the benefit of hindsight. Many governance failures have resulted from a dominant leader making a decision, and the people around them supported it despite their own concerns. Board members who stay silent too often risk becoming frustrated and disillusioned, resulting in a loss of enthusiasm and reduced creativity. The desire for board team cohesion and courtesy can drive out good decision-making and problem solving. Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when the desire for group consensus overrides people’s common sense desire to present alternatives, critique a position, or express an unpopular opinion. Did you ever think about speaking up in a board meeting and then decide not to because you didn’t want to be impolite or seem like a misfit? If so, you may have been a victim of “Groupthink”.
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