Groupthink is Dangerous

Groupthink frightens me. Imagine pouring your heart into a project, only to watch it crumble because no one was brave enough to speak up against the status quo. That is the reality of groupthink – a culture of fear and conformity that stifles innovation, critical evaluation, and counterfactual thinking. 

Groupthink is a cognitive bias that blinds organizations with the potential for success so much that they lose rational thinking. Teams are so ill-prepared for potential threats that they ultimately succumb to them. It is how great companies such as Kodak (who missed the digital camera transition despite inventing it) and Blockbuster (who failed to address the threat of Netflix) met their demise. Even in my career, I have watched one company lose billions by failing to satisfy the desires of their target market. Similarly, I observed another company fumble and be humbled by the constraints of global market expansion. In each case, the companies failed because of a myopic focus on the wrong things. The silent killer of groupthink lurked for years before it was identified. By then, it was too late. 

But the good news is you don't have to be a victim of groupthink. It all starts with acknowledging its danger and embracing a mindset of fear by continually asking what could happen if you allow things to go unchecked. This does not mean you sacrifice unity. Instead, you gain a harmony of goals with a diversity of thought. So, let's commit to fostering a culture of dissent, diversity, and debate within our teams. Embrace the same fear of groupthink that I have and use it as a catalyst for change, innovation, and risk mitigation. The survival of your company may depend on it.