Groupthink: a term coined in 1952.

It’s about a person being  too afraid to express his or her opinions for fear of being ostracized by a group or general consensus. We now refer to it as being “politically correct.”

Groupthink is nothing new.

The Salem witch trials and the assassination of Christ as well as character assassinations in the McCarthy era come to mind.

Today it’s going on in blog Web sites.

It’s easy to see in business. Lots of organizations lose the next big idea to competitors because people were afraid to take a chance, then watch as another company took the risks and reaped the rewards.

Apple, Ideo and Zappos are examples of companies which have avoided the pitfalls of “Groupthink.”

Fear of discomfort and an instinctive but ill-fated urge to preserve the status quo are increasingly embattled topics since the election of President Obama. The collapse of many of our financial institutions during the recession and a myriad of other recent social and political turbulences.

Because we are frail, frightened humans, “groupthink” prevails. It’s comfortable, and like so many things in life, very little about any issue is cut and dried, all bad or all good.

The antidote to “groupthink” is also a very human trait — acting with courage and conviction in the face of criticism and character assassination.

The pay-off is self-respect, internal fortitude and ultimately, a sense of peace on one’s deathbed.

Our models for anti-group think? Mother Teresa. Nelson Mandela. Peter Drucker. There are many more.

Eyes wide open. Risk nothing. Get nothing.
Get your F.ree Instant Access to your copy of “A Taste of Genius: 6-Steps to Creating A Business Where Good Talent Likes to do Great Work.“
Visit http://www.subject2change.ca
From Dr. Jim Sellner, PhD., DipC. – The guy who works with you — one conversation at a  time — to create workplaces where people love to do their best and customers love to do business with you.