PSY FPX 5120 Assessment 4

Team Training Program to Mitigate Groupthink

Groupthink, where group members prioritize consensus over critical thinking to avoid disagreement (Katopol, 2005), can hinder creativity and innovation within organizations. It promotes a culture of conformity, discouraging alternative perspectives and the consideration of other solutions (Levitan & Verhulst, 2015). An all-inclusive team training program is recommended on the basis of various strategies to promote independent, innovative, and creative thinking in groups to resolve the issue.

Small Group Approach Brainstorming

The application of the small group method in brainstorming also eliminates the negative effect of group influence on creativity (McCauley, 1998). In dividing the team into smaller groups, team members are provided with a safe environment to freely voice their thoughts without fear of condemnation or being pressured into conformity. The method not only encourages input from all the team members but also yields broader ranges of creative alternatives (McCauley, 1998).

Absence of Team Leader

Absence of a strong team leader in decision-making situations can help minimize the influence of authority on individual opinions (Schöbel, Rieskamp, & Huber, 2016). Though leaders play a significant role in providing organizational opinions, their absence during brainstorming and idea testing allows for unbiased consideration of ideas. This allows for a more democratic approach to decision-making, where everyone is free to participate and question the norm.

Devil’s Advocate

Inclusion of the role of a devil’s advocate within the team elicits critical review of ideas and creates healthy argument (Sarver, 2013). Through challenging existing thought and opinion, the devil’s advocate stimulates further scrutiny and encourages consideration of alternative perspectives. This policy fosters a culture of intellectual honesty and effective decision-making, ultimately yielding higher-quality results (Sarver et al., 2015).

Conclusion

Groupthink reduction in organizational decision-making is essential to build a culture of innovation and creativity. Organizational practices such as small group brainstorming, no single team leader, and implementation of a devil’s advocate can be adopted by organizations to facilitate independent thinking and varied thinking, and thus improved decision-making processes.

PSY FPX 5120 Assessment 4 Team Training Program to Minimize Group Thinking 

Sarver, C. C. (2013). Countering groupthink: The inner circle of influence (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. (UMI Number: 3595837)

Schöbel, M., Rieskamp, J., & Huber, R. (2016). Social influences in sequential decision-making. PLOS ONE, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146536

Whyte, G. (1998). Recasting Janis’s groupthink model: The key role of collective efficacy in decision fiascoes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 73(2-3), 185–209. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1998.2761