Brain-Friendly Friday: It’s Better When We Don’t All Get Along

Is your team suffering from groupthink?

Do you believe your workgroup is falling into the groupthink mindset? 🤔

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon where a group makes decisions and/or thinks the same as a consensus. It feels natural because it stems from our long-held desire to conform and belong. 

However, when we pair with peers exactly like us, it blocks critical thinking and good judgment. It also can be deadly (I have an example in my book The 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯-𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦).

By spotting groupthink, you are taking the first necessary step to change your group’s dynamics from isolating to the exciting and wonderful group flow.

Use this quick test below to spot groupthink. 

Are you witnessing either of these:

✅𝗛𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘀: A high level of arrogance that is a common by-product of power and status. 

✅𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Eagerly attacking group dissenters and shutting down dissenting opinions

Being a dissenter in a group doesn’t have to be labeled as “bad.” Dissenters create change and spark innovation. 

Just look at these historical dissenters to find inspiration: astronomer Galileo Galilei🔭, psychotherapist Sigmund Freud🗒️, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.🪧, and suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton ♀️.

Want more brain-friendly tips?

Check out my Wall Street Journal bestselling book, The Brain-Friendly Workplace: Why Talented People Quit and How to Get Them to Stay. And if you felt inspired, please leave an Amazon review. I read every single one and would love to see yours there!

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