Group Think

You may have heard about the term ‘Group Think’. In any case, here is a timely reminder on what it is and, more importantly, how to manage it.

Cohesive teams tend to have a higher desire for harmony, conformity, and a sense of loyalty.  As a result of this priority controversial issues, ‘crazy’ ideas, and individual creativity tends to be somewhat suppressed. In other words, Group Think can cause the team to be blinded towards threatening challenges and opportunities.

 

How to deal with Group Think as a manager?

Firstly, clarify a few definitions with your team.

Harmony – The best way to achieve long-term harmony is NOT to smile at each other and agree with each other all the time. The best way to achieve long-term harmony is to respect each other. Respect means to trust each other’s good intention, speak up about the important issues that concern the team success, listen carefully, argue each other’s points and come to a conclusion.

Loyalty – Loyalty does NOT mean to support each other even to the point of failure.  Loyalty refers to loyalty to the team goal and to the team (member) to succeed. Hence, if a team member has better idea or a critical concern, loyalty to the team requires these issues to be brought up.

Recommended action for your daily management life. Try some or all of the below.

If you like to discuss a challenge during a meeting. State the challenge. Ask each team member to write down their solution on a post-it sticker. Post the stickers on a white board and start discussing.

Let your team member always express their opinion first before you, as manager, express yours.

Assign the same challenge to sub-groups or individual team members and let them come up with an answer. If it is a big issue, let them talk to different experts.

Give each team member a different role to discuss an idea e.g. ‘Accountant’,’ Visionary’, ‘Risk Avoider’, ‘Implementer’, ‘Realist’, ‘Technology Freak’.

As I read recently ‘Feeling is easier than thinking’. Don’t dismiss an idea just because it doesn’t ‘feel’ right. Or the person contributing a concern is disliked (Liking and disliking is also a feeling). Each idea deserves to be thought through and discussed based on facts and rational reasoning.

When you are about to implement an idea ask your team members to imagine for moment that this idea will fail. Request them to write down the sequence of events, in their view, how this idea would fail. Listen carefully to each view and make your assessment. The point here is not negativity. New ideas will always require some risk taking. But whatever we do, we want to walk into it with ‘open eyes’.

In summary, find ways for each team member to think on their own first. Ask them to commit to their idea by writing things down. Then discuss.

Little Story, Big Insights 1

I just lost a big business deal. Losing a business deal is part of doing business and I can take this ‘in my stride’. At the same time, the client has been treating me in a very demeaning manner and, frankly, I still find this very difficult to cope with. 

Of course, the natural (emotional) reaction is to pick up the phone, argue and tell your client what you think of him, jeopardizing future business. Well, I didn’t do that, but went for a looong jog instead; my type of cooling-off exercise. After my 75minutes jog I sorted things out in my mind and my action plan.

As I finished my jog, I saw this elderly gentlemen walking very slowly and very gingerly with the aid of a walking stick. I greeted him and asked casually if he had a knee operation and he answered in an extremely cheery voice: ‘No, I had a spine operation 10 years ago.’ I showed some compassion as the recovery seems to take so long, again he answered in a very enthusiastic way: ‘I am very happy. I can walk so well now.’

Big Insight 1 – When you are really angry, find your own way to relax, get some distance to the cause of your anger. Then decide in a rational manner what you do next.

Big Insight 2 – The elderly gentleman had a much bigger problem than me and was still so friendly and cheery. So I cheered up as well. After all, my problem was a much smaller one.

Big Insight 3 – Problems are rarely that ‘earth-shattering’ as you think they are at the time when you think about them. Ask yourself ‘How many challenges, worries, and arguments did I have six months ago and they are totally irrelevant today?’

Time & Stress Management

There is a time to stop talking i.e. don’t waste your time, efforts (and nerves) and move on to use your time more effectively and pleasantly. Some example:

When you see no chance of winning an argument or negotiation. If your first, second, and third argument does not find any acceptance, your fourth won’t do it either.

When you complain about a situation, however, the person listening to your complaint has no influence to do anything about it. Move on, bring your issue up to the person who can address your concern.

Or, if the person who could do something about your complaint is not accessible to you, then don’t complain, rather think if you need to accept the situation or what you should do next. In summary, many people waste their time and complain to the wrong person.

When people do not want to take your, typically, well-intended advice or criticism. Normally noticeable, when the other party argues back without taking your point into consideration. If you don’t succeed after 2-3 attempts, walk away. 

 If the other person is not willing to learn.

Recognize these scenarios early, walk away; use your time more effectively for something else. This is also good for your mood.

It is easier to feel than to think!

'I feel ...' - How often do you hear this or even say it yourself? And often, there is nothing wrong with it. Just go one step further. THINK it through. Are there sufficient facts to support the feeling? Are we guided by the right feelings e.g. the feelings of fear or anger do not fall into this category?

Capable to Learn

I recently had a ‘classic experience’. One of my clients invited me to give a training session at their regional meeting. The objective of the training was to upgrade the skills of their sales staff as my client faces a particular challenge. They are very successful with small customers, however, not doing so well with their bigger, international clients.

In sales, relationships are always important. Though, when dealing with international clients the level of professionalism needs to go up as well e.g. powerful presenting skills, well-honed negotiation skills are required. And that was the focus of my training.

Interestingly enough, one meeting participant criticised me severely. His argument was that he could not use my formal sales approach in his country with his customers. Initially, he didn’t realise that I wasn’t going to share skills that would help to sell to his existing clients. Obviously, he has those skills already, otherwise, he wouldn't have sold to them. I wanted to train skills that would help him to sell to larger, international clients that were not yet his clients. In other words, he has not been successful with those types of clients.

Conclusion – Our knowledge and skills are perfectly suited to achieve what we have achieved so far. If we want to look at the next level of achievement, our current skill set may not be sufficient. We may need to learn something new, a different approach.

And that is how what we finally agreed upon. Of course, his current skill level was good; otherwise he wouldn’t be successful in the first place. For moving up we need more skills. That doesn’t mean necessarily discarding the old skills. We just need to learn alternatives and use them when appropriate. It is like one more weapon in the arsenal.

There is always I need to question your skill level regularly and be open to upgrade.

Making Suggestions

I had a previouss write-up in this blog regarding making suggestions. Here is a updated version.
 

Any organization will benefit greatly if they have staff with initiative providing suggestions for improvement. Staff whose suggestions are accepted will be highly motivated by this, and, in my view should get suitable recognition, though, it needs to be said that staff whose suggestions are not accepted will be frustrated and will grumble.

Hence, the objective must be to increase the number of good quality suggestions, making rejections unlikely.

Here is a guideline, feel free to give a copy to your staff, for making good suggestions (I added some ‘smart’ explanations for better understanding)

1. Describe the critical issue – facts only
This is crucial. Crystal clear understanding makes solutions so much more obvious. Every psychologist will confirm this.

2. Find a number of possible solutions
Careful, typically we are pressed for time, and we accept the next best solution to ‘plug the hole’. Often, the first or most obvious solution is not the best!

Also, it is very common, that one solution dominates our thinking and doesn’t allow other ideas to surface. Then take a step back and relax. You must find your own way of relaxing. For me jogging works very well, others meditate. When you relax your brain cools down and allows other ideas to surface. Surely you had the experience of an idea coming to you ‘out of the blue’.

So, many solutions are wanted

3. Choose a solution
Explain the rationale behind your suggestion.

4. Think through the implementation of your suggestion
Any potential ‘hiccups’ will surface and can be addressed.

5. Do a cost vs. benefit calculation
This is not always easy, but give it a go. Keep in mind that very likely your organization has limited resources, money or people’s time, and can only support ideas which promise good returns.

6. Do a risk-assessment
What risk is involved when implementing the suggestion? Or, are there any risks in NOT implementing the suggestion.

If there are risks, can these be mitigated?

7. Hand in your suggestion
There are two types of people, one type wants fast closure (fast decision makers) the other type can live with ambiguity (slower decision makers).

If you are a fast decision maker, have a good night’s rest, review in the morning, and if you still think it is a good suggestion hand in your suggestion.

If you are a slow decision maker, then you very likely have done a thorough job already. Hand in your suggestion now!

Interviewing Skills

During one of my recent trips to Europe, I listened to an audio book (a German book called ‘Prinzip Selbsvertrauen by R Sprengler). 

Amongst many other things the book quoted a case study on how to employ a manager. It was tried by a German SME (no name mentioned) and was apparently very successful.

The company was looking for a new managing director. The owner appointed an interview panel. The panel consisted of seven people representing a cross section of staff and management; from the lowest to the highest rank.

After the interview, the panel members only had to vote to employ the candidate or not. No explanation was expected, only a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The candidate needed to get 6 out of 7 ‘yes’ in order to be employed.

It was quoted to be a very successful method.

 

If you ever try it, let us know the result.