Groupthink & Conflict

Groupthink is a term to describe faulty decision-making by team members who are overly eager to agree with one another. Many fall victim because we fear rejection, and want to fit in.(Business Communication-5th Edition : Unit 1, pg. 38)

Groups suffering from groupthink fail to check for alternatives, and ignore the thoughts and choices of others.

Symptoms of Groupthink:

• peer/group member pressure
• self-censorship
• collective efforts to rationalize

Effective teams avoid groupthink by:

•  striving for team diversity
• encourage open discussion
• evaluate all alternatives prior to decision making
• consider how decisions are implemented
• having a "plan b" if further decisions have to be made

With any group, conflict is normal in team interactions. Conflict is the opposition of individuals, disagreement gives rise to tension among group members. Conflict is a natural, and it is happens quite often.Conflict can arise when there is competition, when people are dependent on others to get tasks finished, when there is a misunderstanding, when communication barriers are present that prevent full communication and when personalities are too different.Although conflict is viewed negatively it can be beneficial at certain times and to a certain extent.  Many people react differently to problems, and many are not aware of how to handle conflict. Some people deal with problems by excluding them self from the situation by keeping quiet or withdrawing from the group in order to avoid conflict, others handle the issue at hand by voicing their concerns. Accommodating handling occurs when someone will give in, in order to satisfy the opposing side to allow group work to continue. Sharing and taking responsibility of the situation occurs when there is equal compromise and everyone is satisfied with the resulting action.