| 11/7/11
I just read a helpful reminder about the limitations of groups on decision making. (Why Brainstorming Doesn't Always Work. Jena McGregor. The Washington Post 11/6/11)
It's pretty common for a group to meet and someone asks, "Any ideas on how we should proceed?" This sounds like a good thing to do. It is inclusive. It shows that the boss wants to hear your ideas. And, we tend to believe that these open discussions encourage a wide range of ideas. Unfortunately, diversity of opinion is the very thing that suffers during these meetings. When groups try to generate ideas, they seem to "get stuck on each others' ideas."
In a recent study, researchers looked at the number and diversity of opinion when people were asked for ideas. Those who worked alone "outperformed the real chat groups, both with the number of ideas and the diversity of them." A second group of people who received a few cues from others did less well. And groups that met to generate ideas did the worst.
The research indicates that people should think about ideas on their own and then get together to discuss them.
If my experience is any indication of what's going on in many organizations, we seem to have forgotten the importance of Irving Janis' Groupthink. The timing of McGregor's article (see link above) is great. I am about to take part in a planning process for an organization I care deeply about. Thanks to that article, I am going to suggest that we all do some thinking alone before we meet to develop plans.
I'd love to hear how you get around this trap. Please comment on my blog. Thanks.
Influence. Action. Change! Here is a description of the program. I am delighted to announce that Influence. Action. Change!, the new program at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland will offered again next year. We will meet in Cleveland March 18 - 21 and May 21 -23, 2012. (The online portion of the program begins on March 1.)
If you have questions, please look at the description, watch the short homemade video, or give me a call.
I recorded a short video describing this program.
Warm regards,
Rick Maurer
President
Maurer & Associates
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