Groupthink

I’m taking a class on Organizational Theory. Last week we did a case study on a racing team that had to decide whether or not to race in a particular race the next day. We were provided with statistics, issues, possible consequences of racing/not racing, etc. After examining all the data, each of the three groups in the class came to the same conclusion – we would definitely race…there was too much to lose if we did not.

Then our teacher told us that the case was actually an analogy for a real-life situation from 1986 – the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

We were floored! Each of us had decided that launching (racing) on that cold January morning was the right thing to do. But after looking at the data again, it was clear that our decision was wrong. We were the victims of Groupthink.

Groupthink occurs when the group places more emphasis on coming to a consensus than on analyzing the data critically. This happens quite often in ministry. We get caught up in presenting a unified front as a team or even a church body that we don’t listen when others bring up ideas that oppose the group’s opinion. This proved deadly in the Challenger situation, but when you’re dealing with people’s eternal salvation the stakes are even higher.

If you find your ministry team or church body in a Groupthink situation, take a step back, analyze the data critically, and look at what’s really at stake.

Irving Janis' Eight Symptoms of Groupthink:

1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.
2. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.
3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.
4. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, impotent, or stupid.
5. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty".
6. Self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
7. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.
8. Mind guards — self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information. (Irving Janis, 1977)