THINKER'S ALMANAC - May 26

What can leaders do to prevent their followers from falling for groupthink?

Subject: Groupthink

Event:  Birthday of Irving Janis, 1918

One common finding is that when people of like minds discuss an issue together, they become more polarized.  That is, whatever view they had before the discussion, they are even more extreme in their support of it after the discussion. -Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach

Today is the birthday of psychologist Irving Janis, whose research has given us vital insights into the way groups work and more importantly the way groups fail to work.

After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of southern Cuba in 1961, Janis studied the decision making of the Kennedy administration and its attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro by sponsoring a force of 1,400 Cuban exiles.  Despite the fact that Kennedy and his advisers were known as the “best and the brightest,” and despite the fact that they had all the information they needed to put together a more effective plan, they failed. 

                                                                            Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

The failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion began in Kennedy’s White House, and the name of the error that led to the failure was groupthink.  In order to make a good decision within a group of people there needs to be an environment that not only allows dissent but also one that encourages it.  Without dissenting voices it’s too easy for a false consensus to be reached, especially when people are looking to the boss or the president for approval.

As writer David McRaney puts it, humans are tribal animals who form groups and too quickly prefer a comfortable consensus to healthy debate:  “When groups get together to make a decision, an illusion of invulnerability can emerge in which everyone feels secure in the cohesion.  You begin to rationalize other people’s ideas and don’t reconsider your own.”

The secret to avoiding false consensus is for the group's leader to seek out alternative opinions before expressing his or her view. Furthermore, the groups can be broken up periodically into smaller groups for discussion and can also invite outsiders to present alternative opinions.  Finally, the leader should appoint a Devil’s Advocate (See THINKER’S ALMANAC - September 4) whose job is to generate counterarguments and to actively find faults with any plans or proposals.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  What kind of group behavior contributes to groupthink? What is the key to avoiding groupthink?

Challenge - Only You Can Prevent Groupthink:  Write a brief public service announcement targeted for leaders.  Define groupthink in your PSA and identify specific ways that a leader can structure a meeting so to prevent groupthink.

Sources:  

1-McRaney, David.  You Are Not So Smart. New York:  Gotham Books, 2011.