Courses / Groupthink

Groupthink

The 8 Symptoms of Groupthink and How to Avoid It

22 minute course

  English and Spanish

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Do your leaders understand the risk of groupthink?

Using the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster as a backdrop, this classic program explains the "groupthink" phenomenon, illustrating how it can contribute to faulty group decision making. Leaders learn the signals to watch for in their own team meetings.

People often seek unanimous agreement in spite of contrary facts pointing to another conclusion. The phenomenon is called groupthink – a concept introduced many decades ago by Dr. Irving Janis. 

Through a dramatic re-enactment of the decision to launch Challenger – despite the reservations of some on the team – participants see how groupthink can undermine decision making. They gain an understanding of the eight symptoms of groupthink and strategies for avoiding it: 

• Illusion of invulnerability
• Illusion of morality
• Rationalization
• Shared stereotypes
• Self-censorship
• Illusion of unanimity
• Direct pressure
• Mind-guarding