What is Groupthink?
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of people make a decision or take action that is driven by the desire for consensus and conformity rather than critical thinking and independent judgment. In groupthink, members of a group may suppress their own doubts or objections in order to maintain harmony and avoid conflict, leading to a narrow, homogeneous perspective and a lack of consideration of alternative viewpoints. Because the central mission of NLC is to support its members’ social, personal, and professional growth through community consensus-based decision-making, it’s important to recognize this conflict and act to safeguard our theory of change that supports a life practice of self-empowerment that does not ask you to believe in anything other than your own potential to change, heal, and feel alive and happy. We choose to do it together, but the goal is not to become what others want us to be, but rather to accept ourselves and become who we are.
Groupthink can occur in a variety of settings, including in business, government, and social groups. It can lead to poor decision-making, such as overconfidence in the group’s abilities, failure to consider risks or potential consequences, and a tendency to ignore outside information or dissenting opinions.
To prevent groupthink, it is important to encourage open communication, diversity of perspectives, and a willingness to consider alternative viewpoints. This can be achieved through measures such as assigning a devil’s advocate or encouraging members to voice their concerns and objections.
The Challenger Shuttle Disaster and Groupthink
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 is often cited as an example of a tragic outcome resulting from groupthink. The Challenger explosion occurred when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members on board. An investigation into the disaster found that a major factor in the failure was groupthink among NASA decision-makers and engineers.
NASA’s decision to launch the Challenger despite warnings about potential issues with the O-ring seals on the solid rocket boosters was heavily influenced by a culture of overconfidence and pressure to maintain a tight launch schedule. Engineers who raised concerns about the O-ring seals were not taken seriously, and dissenting opinions were suppressed or ignored. The group responsible for the decision to launch was convinced that the risk of a catastrophic failure was low and that the launch should proceed as planned, despite evidence to the contrary.
The Challenger disaster serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers of groupthink and the importance of promoting critical thinking, open communication, and independent judgment in decision-making processes.
New Life Circles Challenger Group Will Combat Groupthink
Because New Life Circles is a cohesive consensus-based community it can lean toward agreement and belonging that can sometimes support a decision-making process that doesn’t resolve in the best interest of the community, or more importantly, its members. NLC is not sending people into outer space, but even in our modest goals of self-empowerment, supporting each other in personal and professional growth, healing, and continued well-being, it is important we create safeguards that protect our Core Values of integrity and the inclusion of diverse ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The central mission of New Life Circles is for all to experience support in being and becoming who we are, not who others or the community imagine we are or should be. Authenticity and compassion are the Core values that support us in finding our true Life Path and Healthy practices. That necessarily means everyone will be growing in their own direction, hopefully walking close to their Life Path, and doing the things that make them happy and healthy.
To this end, NLC will always support dissent and alternative ideas and opinions. We also have a group we lovingly call the Challenger Group, in remembrance of those that lost their lives in the space shuttle tragedy. The Challenger Group will have the task of dissenting and challenging group decisions. This group will also meet together, in regularly scheduled Life Circles, to build their own support system apart from the main community. When there is concern and dissent they will have a trusted support group to turn to whose sole organizing purpose is to support alternative ideas, dissent when concerns arise, or simply support a contrarian position when taking important consensuses.
