How to Stop Toxic Groupthink

Groupthink is when a group’s creativity is stifled in order to achieve group cohesiveness. This might sound like a good thing. It can be especially dangerous when a group becomes hyper-focused on self-importance or superiority and ceases to question their choices.

Unchecked groupthink can lead to toxic behavior patterns that are reminiscence of a dictator or authoritarian leader and, ultimately, damaging to your organization.

Here are key strategies in reigning in a group that’s derailed its elements of creativity and diversity.

How Can You Stop Toxic Groupthink?

Recognize Its Causes

Often, when employees experience stress and isolation, it can lead to groupthink which, in turn, disrupts a group’s creative problem-solving abilities. As well, strong leaders can be the culprit. If management within a company possesses a closed leadership style, that style can stifle alternate views or perspectives.

Peer pressure and a collective complacency are also signals that groupthink may be impacting your team’s ability to think critically.

Strive For Inclusion

Celebrate diversity and uniqueness in your workplace. That means leading your staff in understanding how their biases might lend to groupthink tendencies. This could also include bringing in outside professionals to challenge the status quo.

Inclusion can also look like encouraging collaboration. Ask leadership to initially limit personal sharing and, instead, begin meetings by facilitating small group discussion and brain storming sessions.

Assign Roles

Assigning roles based on expertise or experience can ensure that multiple opinions are considered. Likewise, encourage debate and discussion so all the group becomes a safe place to explore alternative solutions and examine risk.

Establishing a strategy is important in fostering your company’s teams planning and execution of goals. The same strategies can also help teams to avoid the pitfalls associated with groupthink.

Ready To Stomp Out Toxic Group Thinking?

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