Groupthink Analysis
Erica Grover
Tanza Bauer
MBA 510
December 17, 2014
Question 2: Week 4 Groupthink Pitfalls of a group can be challenging to overcome but by learning from the past, assessing the current team, and preparing for challenges at team can overcome pitfalls and complete tasks and goals. Groupthink is the pitfall I worry our team my face. I worry about this one because doing this work online we are very isolated from each other and because we are not face to face maybe less inclined to challenge each other and more inclined to agree and join the consensus. Thompson states, “Groupthink occurs when team members place consensus above all other priorities.” (Thompson 171) When groups are unfamiliar with one another they tend to want to be liked and agree.
As a new cohort and newly functioning group I think this will be a great challenge to overcome. Why would consensus be detrimental to a team? The conformity of team members can lead to closed minds discouraging others to speak their opinions. Thompson suggests, the lack of challenges to ideas can lead individuals as well as the group to think they are correct or invulnerable. (Thompson 172) As our team learns of my thoughts I hope we are cognitive of the each others ideas and open to looking at the alternatives before consensus. I foresee us now being aware of possible lapses that accompany groupthink and being open to challenging the lapses to avoid costly mistakes in projects. I found that the corporate example given made me think how I can be more conscious of groupthink and challenge concerns I may have in the future. The Enron example gave me the greatest pause, how did no one challenge the tasks they were asked to do, how were they all so protecting of one view point? That example just seemed so obvious yet at work just today discussion about doing what is right was discussed. My staff felt pressure to skip steps because of time pressures yet in our staff meeting we challenged each other with how to overcome pressure from the group to just get task done and to conform. When working with patients safety needs to be at the forefront of my staffs mind and they need to be encourage to critically think about the challenges and to make decisions that are best for their patient and our practice this sometimes means challenging doctors and others that may be more intimating.
Works Cited
Thompson, Leigh. Making the Team: A Guide for Managers. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print
Tanza Bauer
MBA 510
December 17, 2014
Question 2: Week 4 Groupthink Pitfalls of a group can be challenging to overcome but by learning from the past, assessing the current team, and preparing for challenges at team can overcome pitfalls and complete tasks and goals. Groupthink is the pitfall I worry our team my face. I worry about this one because doing this work online we are very isolated from each other and because we are not face to face maybe less inclined to challenge each other and more inclined to agree and join the consensus. Thompson states, “Groupthink occurs when team members place consensus above all other priorities.” (Thompson 171) When groups are unfamiliar with one another they tend to want to be liked and agree.
As a new cohort and newly functioning group I think this will be a great challenge to overcome. Why would consensus be detrimental to a team? The conformity of team members can lead to closed minds discouraging others to speak their opinions. Thompson suggests, the lack of challenges to ideas can lead individuals as well as the group to think they are correct or invulnerable. (Thompson 172) As our team learns of my thoughts I hope we are cognitive of the each others ideas and open to looking at the alternatives before consensus. I foresee us now being aware of possible lapses that accompany groupthink and being open to challenging the lapses to avoid costly mistakes in projects. I found that the corporate example given made me think how I can be more conscious of groupthink and challenge concerns I may have in the future. The Enron example gave me the greatest pause, how did no one challenge the tasks they were asked to do, how were they all so protecting of one view point? That example just seemed so obvious yet at work just today discussion about doing what is right was discussed. My staff felt pressure to skip steps because of time pressures yet in our staff meeting we challenged each other with how to overcome pressure from the group to just get task done and to conform. When working with patients safety needs to be at the forefront of my staffs mind and they need to be encourage to critically think about the challenges and to make decisions that are best for their patient and our practice this sometimes means challenging doctors and others that may be more intimating.
Works Cited
Thompson, Leigh. Making the Team: A Guide for Managers. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print