#37: Think Outside the Group

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Have you ever been in a meeting where you are discussing a new idea, project, or problem, and once a senior leader has expressed their position, you witness other colleagues quickly voicing their support – while you quietly disagree?

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which members of a group strive to maintain consensus, often due to perceived group pressure, desire to avoid conflict, and influence by a strong leader. In such situations, dissenting members self-censor, and their silence is assumed to mean agreement. Groupthink can result in stifled critical analysis, launching of ill-fated projects, and possibly global crises, such as the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

To reduce groupthink, leaders can ask meeting participants to write down their views first, and solicit members’ opinions before sharing their own. Alternatively, participants may be assigned as rotating “devil’s advocates” during meetings, and external experts can be consulted before important decisions are made.