The Positives and Negatives of Groupthink
There are times within a group when the need for harmony gets in the way of something more important, the need for everyone to get along leads to rushed group decisions.
Well, that's groupthink. If it happens to you a lot, don't worry yet, there are pros and cons to everything. So without further ado, here's the positives and negatives of groupthink.
Positives of Groupthink
1. Cooperation is Improved
When groupthink happens, the group agrees more often than not due the nature of the phenomenon in general. The decisions you make may be questionable but that's not what's being discussed here. The group will work well together and a plan will be made during groupthink.
2. Harmony Exists
The group will probably not argue, the group will probably not bicker over decisions because usually you're on the same page. The group members will be at peace with one another during groupthink.
3. There Will be Less Stress
In a group with groupthink, there will be less stress due to the fact that everyone is trying to please the other members of the group. There will be no feelings hurt, no rage and it will overall be a much easier environment to work in.
4. Finish it Quickly
During groupthink, your decisions will probably be made more hastily due to everyone trying to please everyone else. Skipping a few steps here and there will get your task accomplished much faster than it would have without groupthink.
Negatives of Groupthink
1. Lower Quality
Due to the task being rushed, there is usually less time to improve the task and make it better. There are less arguing and lesser suggestions which could have been instrumental in the success or failure of the task. These could be skipped over as well. During groupthink, the quality of the work is usually lower.
2. Wrong Decisions
During groupthink, people will scramble to please everyone else. They will agree to what the other person says without any further questions being asked. They will not doubt the decision. Due to this, some decisions made during groupthink could end up being faulty, these could end up being a hinderance to the people who made the decision and end up backfiring them.
3. It Could Ruin Your Relationships in the Long Run
A groupthink will lead to decisions being made rashly and without the proper thought and discussion that should go into making a decision. When you make decisions here, you may end up failing and when you fail in a group more often than not, fingers will start being pointed at you. Don't blame each other, blame the groupthink. But yes, this phenomenon can have adverse effects on your relationship with the people you work with.
A groupthink happens at an uncommon rarity. But that does not mean you should not keep a look out if your meeting is turning into one. From the facts, it can be said that it has both positives and negatives. If you need to finish a task quickly, if getting along really seems like a problem, then why not have one. If you need to get something right, if you want to absolutely make sure that what you're doing is correct, then try to avoid this at all costs.
