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Team
Decision-Making - Consensus vs. Groupthink
Teams
seek consensus in decisions. However, this does not mean that the
decision is the first choice of all members. Rather, the decision
is acceptable enough to all members that they can support it and
the decision is not opposed by any member. Groupthink occurs when
strong influences are at work to conform to the group and suppress
individual views. Consensus is not the same as groupthink. The following
table illustrates how they differ (Daut).*
GROUPTHINK |
CONSENSUS
DECISION MAKING |
| Conformance |
Independence |
| Less
secure in individual expertise |
Individual
expertise |
| Fear
of expressing divergent thinking |
Express
diverse and divergent points of view |
| Leader
exerts undue influence on outcome |
Outcome
is criteria driven |
| Repressive |
Expressive |
| Reticent
group members |
Confident
group members |
| Member
fear |
Member
courage |
| Respect
of authority or position |
Openness |
| Extremely
cohesive |
Variable-forming,
storming, norming, and performing |
| Unreserved
acceptance |
Healthy
skepticism |
| Homogeneous
skills & experience |
Heterogeneous
skills & experience |
| Biased
leadership |
Unbiased
leadership |
* Daut,
Kathryn "Groupthink--The Dark Side of Teaming and How to Counteract
It!," U.S. Air Force, Air War College, Leadership, Ethics,
& Command Central, Communication Skills, Mediation and Facilitation.
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