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Group Think Is Manipulation—It’s Not Consensus

The truth is that overly homogeneous groups that engage in group think, even unknowingly, are manipulating the decision process to their advantage. They are so alike in their thinking that they ignore other facts that may disagree with their facts, ignore other alternatives that may not be as advantageous to them as their option, and make decisions that tend to benefit them as a group.

As a result, they have not only hijacked the decision-making process, they have also manipulated the decision in their favor and possibly to the detriment of the organization, or at least other groups in the organization.

This is really dishonest decision making and absolutely must be avoided. History is replete with examples of group think. The decline of IBM Corporation in the early 1980s is a great example. These employees and executives thought alike, worked alike, even dressed alike. They got trapped in group think.