IDEA FOUND // IDEA 201
Groupthink
“A cohesive team may mistake early agreement for a well-tested decision.”
01 / PLAINLY
What it means, plainly
Groupthink is a debated theory of premature consensus, pressure, and evaluation failures in some teams.
02 / CONTEXT
A little more
Groupthink is a theory of premature consensus, pressure, and evaluation failures in some decision-making groups. Historical cases are influential, but definition, measurement, and predictive power have been criticized.
03 / WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Naming alternatives and objections before favoring one option may reveal agreement that has not yet been tested.
04 / EXAMPLE
A familiar example
Leaders read few objections as unanimity after the chair announces a favored option at the start.
05 / LIMIT
What it does not mean
Cohesion does not always cause poor decisions, and naming groupthink after failure does not explain the process.
06 / NOTICE
Notice it in your day
Before a small decision, request two alternatives and record one objection to each without making one person carry all dissent.
FINAL NOTE
The idea worth keeping
Request alternatives before favoring one and record objections without making one dissenter carry the whole case.
QUESTIONS / 02
Questions people still have
Does team cohesion always cause poor decisions?
No. The theory's definition, measurement, and predictive power have been criticized.
Does labeling a failure groupthink explain the process?
No. Pressure, premature consensus, or evaluation failures must be shown.