The Perils of Groupthink

First used by social psychologist Irving Janis in 1972, “groupthink” is a psychological term that refers to how people try to achieve consensus within a group. The default is that in many group situations, people will set aside their own personal opinions or innovative ideas and embrace the opinion of the group. In essence, the group achieves more creative power due to its numbers than would any single individual. The individual’s input (or potential input) is sublimated in favor of the harmony of the larger entity.

In turn, when individuals often have a creative idea or opposing idea, they will, quite frequently, keep quiet rather than injecting their minority thought(s). The belief is that it is far better to maintain the uniformity of the group than it is to stick one’s neck out with a contrary view. Individual members of a group are often more interested in securing the overall approval of the group than they are in advancing a new or innovative idea. Security within the group frequently supersedes a creative thought that might conflict with the group. In short, dissent is not valued, while harmony and coherence are (“Let’s all stay on the same page, people!”).

If there appears to be a pervading consensus within the group, individuals will often be reluctant to express any doubts, judgments, or disagreements for fear of reprisal or retribution. “Go with the flow” seems to be the driving force behind many group decisions. Variety and disagreement are often quashed in favor of getting a meeting over with, deferring to a strong and commanding group leader, or maintaining a certain level of camaraderie with one’s colleagues (with whom one has to work on a daily basis). Better to be seen as a “team player” rather than as a disruptive influence.

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The Power of the Group

As you might expect, groupthink seriously dampens or permanently extinguishes our creative contributions. Those with a new idea to share or an innovative change to “standard operating procedures” are often pressured into silence. Creative ideas become outliers simply because they are unsettling to the equanimity and overall balance of the group. In the words of Irving Janis, “Direct pressure to conform is often placed on members who pose questions, and those who question the group are often seen as disloyal or traitorous.”

Think about all the groups you belong to. These may include social groups, fraternal groups, religious groups, business and professional groups, family groups, volunteer groups, hobby groups, athletic groups… lots and lots of various groups. What happens when someone has a new thought, a creative expression, or a different way of doing things? Does the group’s way of doing things or their general thinking predominate? Or does the individual have free rein to inject something different, imaginative, or ingenious? Or, maybe just their own personal opinion?

Now, imagine you have planned a special Friday night dinner with a group of friends at a local restaurant—one known for its exquisitely prepared prime rib. All day, you’ve been conjuring up images of a king cut of medium-rare prime rib slathered with horseradish and complimented by a heaping mound of mashed potatoes topped with a warm pool of melted butter and a side salad heaped with cascading rivers of blue cheese dressing. Your taste buds have been working overtime just thinking about tonight’s dinner. You can hardly wait.

The group arrives at the restaurant at 7:00, and everyone is shown to the reserved table. After filling drink orders, the server turns to everyone to take their dinner orders. Your best friend’s wife says, “You know I’m ready to sink my teeth into their Chicken Cacciatore, which I hear is absolutely fabulous! Chicken Cacciatore, please.”

Your best friend says, “Oh, yes, it has to be the Chicken Cacciatore! That’s what I’ll have, too.”

The other couple at the table also orders Chicken Cacciatore, both agreeing that the aromatic vegetables and tomatoes are beyond compare.

Your spouse, with an enormous smile, says, “Oh, I have to have the Chicken Cacciatore, too. All my friends at work have ordered it here, and they all say it is better than any New York restaurant. I just have to have it!”

The server turns to you. What do you order?