What I’ve found to be true about teams is this: the most effective teams have healthy levels of…
- Openness and psychological safety
- Peer accountability
- The ability to navigate conflict in a healthy, productive way
The individual wiring and personal traits of each leader play a big role in the team dynamic.
Not only that…
The individual wiring and personal traits contribute to what I like to call the collective wiring and DNA of the team itself.
When we evaluate this Team DNA, it helps us understand where that leadership team is naturally going to work well together—
and what areas could lead to an unhealthy team dynamic.
(Groupthink is one of those unhealthy dynamics.)
The costs of groupthink (aka, the choice to conform and achieve consensus at the expense of critical reasoning and individual responsibility)…
…can be drastic.
It can happen especially when people who are more reserved are mixed with people who are really assertive and opinionated.
So, what do you do?
Here are 5 key steps to avoid groupthink:
- Original thought
When collaborating to solve a problem, each person is asked to come to the table having already thought through their perspective. Everyone will share their thoughts (even if they’re not fully formed conclusions).
2. Space and time to share
In group convos, each person has a designated time to share their individual thoughts and perspective.
3. Psychological safety
When the team is assembled and sharing begins, the leader should encourage and affirm all contributions (even if they’re not used in the final decision).
4. No interruptions
Each team member can share their perspective thoroughly—without judgment, interruption, being rushed, or being invalidated.
5. Openness to new and different
Brainstorming ideas is separate from analyzing and challenging them. The leader makes space for “all” ideas.
The success and sustainability of any organization depends on team members freely contributing their unique perspectives and insights.
Leaders are the ones responsible for creating an environment where that can happen effectively.