As the saying goes, there’s no “I” in team—but sometimes, it’s not such a bad thing. There are times when it’s appropriate to speak up and say you disagree with an idea (as long as you do it in a polite way). And there are certainly times to pitch an alternative idea, even if it seems out of the box. If your team is afraid to do these things, you may be suffering from groupthink. This happens when a team is collectively so afraid of causing conflict that they just agree with each other all the time. Everything is swell, we all think alike.
Sure, this might be easier and more peaceful, but in the end it will just cause a stale work environment with little innovation. Here are some ways you can stop groupthink in its tracks.
Welcome all opinions. If you’re a manager, let your team know on a regular basis that all opinions and ideas are welcome, as long as the feedback is constructive. Making someone feel stupid for his or her suggestion will only create fear of pitching ideas.
Add a suggestion box. A suggestion box can be a good way to encourage honest feedback and new ideas, says an article from Allbusiness.com. You can also ask these questions via email or at meetings. Keep an open dialogue every step of the way.
Don’t rush decisions. If employees see that you’re impatient or a conflict avoider, they will feel compelled to rush solutions or always agree with the majority, even if they aren’t good ones. Instead, encourage your employees to come to thoughtful decisions and sleep on it if necessary.
Create a solid team of diverse thinkers. If you’re a CEO or manager, you may be compelled to hire people with similar skills and personalities as you. But that only fosters groupthink. Don’t just hire a mirror image of yourself; as this Forbes article points out, your entrepreneurial skills probably won’t translate to all the different roles you need to help your company grow. Instead, you need to hire people with skills and traits that complement your own.
Schedule a follow-up meeting. Of course you don’t want your entire workday to revolve around meetings that never go anywhere, but sometimes it’s beneficial to schedule a follow-up meeting before making a big decision. That way, employees have time to think on the decision and provide new ideas if they wish.
