Groupthink

A group prioritises agreement and harmony over careful evaluation of alternatives.

People may want to preserve relationships, avoid embarrassment, respect powerful leaders or maintain group unity. Time pressure and isolation from outside opinions can make disagreement feel risky.

• A project team approves an unrealistic deadline because nobody wants to challenge the manager.
• Friends agree to an unsafe plan because each person assumes everyone else supports it.
• An organisation ignores warning signs because employees who raise concerns are treated as disloyal.

• Ask people to write opinions before discussing.
• Let junior members speak before leaders.
• Assign a devil's advocate.
• Conduct a pre-mortem.
• Revisit the decision after a short break.