Are your meetings and presentations disappointing? Are you looking for new ideas and honest opinions but they’re not forthcoming?
How often do your presentations and meetings devolve into Group Think? Everyone is drinking the Kool Aid. Yes, there are some leaders who want everyone to agree and foster an atmosphere of agreement. And there may be someone who is oppositional or who has a different point of view. But most times the group settles into a comfort zone of status quo. The mantra is “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
What’s wrong with Group Think? Don’t we want consensus?
Group Think can kill creativity. It can be a catalyst for mistakes because ideas aren’t thought through or challenged. Team members may feel shut down or ostracized if they disagree, leading to distrust and resentment.
So how does this happen? A leader may be a poor facilitator and not know how to draw out ideas and expand a discussion. Or that leader may interrupt a presenter prematurely without fully listening to all the points and implications.
How do you break Group Think?
I once had a client complain that she would ask her team for ideas and nobody would respond. Thinking there was no recourse, this manager would then provide all the answers and ideas herself.
The remedy for group silence is for the leader to master the pause. A long pause will cause tension because most people are uncomfortable with silence. Eventually somebody will start talking. If they’re still silent, break them into groups and ask them to record their ideas. Appoint a spokesperson to report back.
A reason for Group Think is people are uneasy about presenting. It’s risky to venture an opinion unless you know where the boss and team stand. One leader would always voice her opinion and thought she had consensus when the group agreed with her. But they just didn’t want to rock the boat.
To break Group Think, ask this one question first: “What do you think?” Then pause and wait. Never give your opinion first as the leader of the meeting. Ask follow up probing questions. Ask the group to weigh in. Take notes. Once everyone has presented, assess the pros and cons of the ideas. Then give your opinion.
Always welcome a diversity of ideas and eventually the team will open up.
And that’s how you break Group Think.