Group Think - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Group Think has been defined as psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people when the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or flawed decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. In situations where there is group think, loyalty to the group way of thinking pressures individuals to avoid raising controversial issues or alternative solutions. When this occurs, there is a loss of individual creativity and independent thinking. There is no attempt to seek cognitive diversity when recruiting new team members.

An often-cited example of group think is the Challenger disaster. Before the launch, some engineers on the project raised concerns about the ability of the O-ring seals to withstand the launch temperatures and opposed the launch. They were pressured by the group to reconsider their position and reverse their initial no-go position which they did with disastrous results. Although this is an extreme example, you can probably think of other examples in your own setting. A colleague saw this in a strategic planning session that participated in with other leaders from his health system. There was groupthink about plans to build a freestanding ER. There were a few in the group like who felt that this was not a wise idea for very solid reasons including geography and the location of a highly regarded hospital nearby. Their ideas were quickly over-ruled and not carefully considered in a groupthink situation. The decision is turning out to be a very expensive failure for the organization.

Leaders can prevent groupthink situations by coaching team members to appreciate diverse viewpoints. The following is advice from the experts: 

Establish group norms to actively encourage and promote divergent thinking.
Actively seek and value diversity on teams to include age, cultural, educational and ideas.
Ask whether there is a different perspective on the issue being discussed by the team.
Reward truth speakers by acknowledging their contributions to the discussion.
Don’t voice an opinion as the leader until you have sought the opinion of team members.
Embrace conflict – don’t quell it in the interest of harmony.
Prior to making a major decision, go around the room and ask each member for the pros and cons of the decision.

As a nurse leader, it is important to remember that while groupthink does have some benefits. When working with large, it can allow the group to make decisions, complete tasks, and finish projects quickly and efficiently. However, this phenomenon also has costs as well that need to be considered.

Read to Lead

Janis, I. L. Groupthink. Psychology Today. 5(6): 43–46, 74–76; 1971.