Is Your Team Too Friendly?

Sunday, 10. August 2008 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

The Challenger space shuttle explosion. The Bay of Pigs invasion. The Korean War debacle. These are examples of situations where the effectiveness and processes of a key decision-making team failed. And this type of failed decision-making continues to occur in large and small organizations around the world.

Businesses, non-profit organizations, and government all use various types of “teams” to make critical decisions. Thus, it is essential that Executives understand the dynamics of what contributes to both effective, and ineffective teams.

One common trait that contributes to ineffective decision-making is “Groupthink.” Groupthink occurs when group members start to think too much alike. Over time, as group members start to value their friendship, cohesiveness and comradity, members can become fearful of “rocking the boat” by expressing contrary opinions which may disrupt this dynamic. This quickly leads the group into making poorer and poorer decisions that reflect very little creativity.

Healthy decision-making teams consist of members who possess diverse skills, are committed to a common purpose, serve specific roles, and who hold each other accountable for contributing effective results. Decision-making teams are also most successful when members hold diverse perspectives, and are then mature enough to allow healthy conflict to occur within the team – enabling the team to forge the best solution.

The following are ways to prevent “groupthink” in a decision-making group:
1) Group Leaders should openly encourage (and role model) the free airing of ideas, objections and concerns.

2) Group Leaders, and Executives involved on the team, should refrain from initially expressing their personal opinions regarding an issue.  Instead they should defer to other group members first.

3) Senior leadership can establish two or more independent groups who work on the same problem/issue.

4) Group members should be trained in basic brainstorming techniques.

5) Each group member should be allowed to discuss the group’s ideas with trusted subject matter experts who are outside of group.

6) The group should regularly invite various (not just one) outside experts into meetings.

7) At least one group member should be assigned the specific role of being the “Devil’s advocate.” This role should be re-assigned to a different person at each meeting.