Group thinking serves conformity, while collaboration is about creating better outcomes that serve. When we are not paying attention, collaboration might end up as group thinking. There are a few things to pay attention to:
Group thinking over-emphasizes harmony in the group discussion – the procedure is set up to dismiss, ignore, and even eliminate alternative perspectives and concerns.
Conversely, collaboration encourages different ideas, thoughts, and insights to surface and grow.
Group thinking leads to the conformity trap many of us set out not to follow. The trap comes from certain beliefs and social norms. "Because things have always been done this way, it's just business as usual."
Collaboration challenges our assumptions and fears to imagine what's possible instead of what's "normal."
Group thinking leverages favoritism and status games to influence group dynamics and outcomes.
Collaboration emphasizes equal participation and a fair process to seek better ideas and solutions.
If changing for the better is what we set out to do, let's focus on building collaboration instead of falling into the group thinking pitfall.
