It’s a well-known fact that groupthink – the desire for group cohesion – drives out good decision-making and problem solving. When a team falls victim to groupthink, it focuses on too many “non-mission critical” business objectives and suppresses creativity and innovation, either out of intimidation, charisma, or apathy.
Sure, teams should be cohesive and should aim to reach a consensus. Besides, what exactly could be wrong with a warm dynamic with strong relationships between group members? However, the problem arises when a team puts maintaining cohesiveness and reaching consensus above everything else. And in turn disregards the importance of honest, open business communication and collaboration. The trick to avoid the herd mentality, therefore, is to establish just how much solidarity there should be in a team.
As most of us transitioned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, some business leaders suggested that this shift would eliminate tension and stuffiness that usually paves way for groupthink in a traditional meeting.
But their guess turned out to be false. Groupthink only got worse.
Digital communication channels have shown to become a seedbed of groupthink. Passive meeting participants often fade into the woodwork and let the dominators take over.Conclusively, groupthink pervades virtual meetings much more than traditional ones.
This can be largely attributed to the Zoom fatigue. Many of us feel much more burnt out by online meetings than we would with in-person meetings. What’s more, dealing with awkward silences, physical exhaustion or psychological unease can be quite overwhelming, which is conducive to complacency.
Here’s what teams can do to avoid the groupthink from creeping in:
1. Prepare in advance
It’s a good idea to join the meeting prepared with some questions or constructive critiques, so you can make your valuable contribution as well. Ask yourself ahead of time whether you are giving out important details and being lucid in your speech. Make sure you discuss the deadlines and the check-in process, and clearly describe what the deliverable should look like. When you preparebeforehand, it would become much easier to chip in.
2. Make the host trade places
Swapping hosts is not only a wonderful way to improve connectional intelligence, it also brings value in some other ways. Rotating hosts ensures nobody feels left out, making certain everyone feels included. Plus, it jazzes up the often mundane meetings.
3. Offer a follow-up opportunity to quieter team members
This may be surprising to some, but the simple act of raising the little blue Zoom hand or unmuting themselves when others are speaking can be difficult for many people. It could either be discomfort or anxiety, or there could be a plethora of other reasons that could lead to you missing out on brilliant ideas from some of your colleagues.
You could also ask your team to follow up with instant messaging or email with ideas and comments they didn’t get to bring up during the online meeting. Encourage fruitful conversations and use virtual chat tools for more in-depth brainstorming.
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Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.