You may wonder what groupthink is and why I consider it worthwhile to write about it? On the webpage Investopedia.com, Will Kenton describe groupthink “as a phenomenon that occurs when
a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives.
Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people. This desire creates a dynamic within a group whereby creativity and individuality tend to be stifled in order to avoid conflict.”
Disastrous consequences
After the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff on the morning of 28 January 1986, investigators discovered that a series of poor decisions led to the deaths of seven astronauts. The day before the launch, engineers from Morton Thiokol, the company that built the solid rocket boosters, had warned flight managers at NASA that the O-ring seals on the booster rockets would fail in the freezing temperatures forecast for that morning. The O-rings were not designed for anything below 53 degrees Fahrenheit (11,67°C).
NASA personnel overrode the scientific facts presented by the engineers who were experts in their fields and fell victim to groupthink. When flight readiness reviewers received the go-ahead for launch from lower-level NASA managers, no mention was made of Morton Thiokol’s objections. The shuttle launched as scheduled, but the result was disastrous. (Investopedia.com)
How groupthink occurs
- Groupthink occurs when a group ignores logical alternatives and makes irrational decisions.
Potential problems are overlooked in the pursuit of consensus thinking.
Any dissenters are pressured to come around to the consensus.
- After the pressure is exerted, members censor themselves to prevent further shunning. Once decisions are made, the group assumes them to be unanimous.
- For example, the members of a group might all have similar backgrounds that could insulate them from the opinions of outside groups.
Beware, groupthink can have dire consequences.
# 100 Years ago
Another groupthink incident that had a major influence on history, happened 100 years ago. On 29 July 1921, Adolf Hitler was elected as the new Chairman of Germany’s Nazi Party by 533 votes to 1, replacing party founder Anton Drexler. I believe that none of those 533 could have foreseen the dire consequences of their vote that day.
In retrospect, perhaps that one person who had the guts to vote against Hitler and who was not swayed towards consensus thinking should have been honoured.
It must have taken a lot of guts to stand your ground with such opposition.
A better way
Although groupthink is a dynamic that can lead to poor decision-making, inefficient problem-solving, bad decisions, and even disasters, it is not always problematic. In the best cases, it allows a group to make decisions, complete tasks, and finish projects quickly and efficiently
Unfortunately, it remains a phenomenon in which a group of individuals may consider themselves infallible. They may have an illusion of invincibility and consider that nothing the group decides to do, can go wrong. Therefore, it is wise to
encourage some members of the group to act as a mind guard,
with the objective to question things when everybody agrees. “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.” (Prov 15:22)
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