Episode 16 – Groupthink and fiascoes
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It may seem that a successful team is one which has uniformity and constant agreement. But that is not the goal we are looking for. There is plenty of evidence that diversity of viewpoint, and not uniformity is what we need. Uniform teams can fail to question core assumptions. In the “groupthink” theory, a cohesive team automatically builds a risk of poor judgement. We need to be aware of this and how to mitigate the effects.
This podcast is AI-generated based on material from the “Agile Plays” website and book and also refers to Janis’ article “Victims of Groupthink”
Transcript
Alright. Let's jump right in today. We're taking a deep dive into something you don't always hear about when it comes to agile teams, groupthink. Yeah. It's kind of a hidden danger.
And we've got 2 really interesting sources for this deep dive. An agile playbook for scale up organizations and a classic victims of groupthink. Now have you ever heard of the Bay of Pigs invasion? Of course. A pretty clear example of what can happen when groupthink takes over.
Yeah. Definitely a prime example. That's where Irving Janis comes in, the author of Victims of Groupthink. He studied these historical disasters, you know, like the Bay of Pigs, the Vietnam War escalation, even the Pearl Harbor attack. And guess what?
Groupthink was a huge factor in all of them. Wow. That's pretty scary. It is. So according to Janis's theory, when a group becomes super tight knit, that desire for harmony, well, it can end up overriding critical thinking, and you know what that leads to.
Bad decisions. Exactly. So how do we know if group thing's happening? What should we be looking out for? Well, Giannis actually identified 8 key symptoms.
First, there's this illusion of invulnerability. The team thinks they're untouchable. Yeah. Like, they can't possibly fail. Overconfidence at its finest.
Right. And that often leads to another symptom, collective rationalization. So instead of taking a hard look at negative feedback, they just kind of explain it away to keep that sense of unity. They're basically living in an echo chamber. Exactly.
Then there's this belief in inherent morality. The group starts to see themselves as, like, inherently good, and that means anything they do is justified. And that can be really dangerous. It is. And it can easily lead to those stereotyped views of outsiders.
You know? Anyone who disagrees is automatically seen as the enemy or just stupid. Or not worth listening to. Exactly. And if someone does speak up, there's often a lot of pressure to conform.
Right. You're the odd one out if you have a different opinion. It's easier to just stay quiet. Much easier. And that self censorship creates this illusion of unanimity.
Because everyone's quiet, it seems like everyone agrees even if they don't. Right. And then to make matters worse, you've got these self appointed mind guards who protect the group from any information that challenges their views. Talk about reinforcing biases. It's a recipe for disaster.
And as we've seen, history is full of disasters caused by group think. So all of that said, why should we be particularly worried about groupthink when it comes to Agile teams? Isn't Agile all about collaboration and teamwork? Well, that's the paradox. Agile teams are supposed to be really cohesive, you know, where people trust each other and work really closely.
But as Yanis pointed out, that strength, it can also be a weakness. So those close bonds, the same things that make agile teams so effective, they can also make them vulnerable to groupthink. Precisely. And that desire for harmony for a team that runs like a well oiled machine can actually end up silencing dissenting voices, and that can lead to decisions that are not in the best interest of the project. That's where an agile playbook for scale up organizations offers some interesting solutions.
Yeah. I'm really curious about that. Does the playbook directly address Giannis' theory? It doesn't actually use the term groupthink specifically, but it does offer a bunch of strategies for building high performing teams while also protecting them from the dangers of too much conformity. It's all about balance, really.
So finding that sweet spot between encouraging collaboration and making sure that all those different opinions are heard. Exactly. That's where the importance of open communication comes in. Leaders have to create a culture where people feel safe voicing their concerns, you know, challenging assumptions, even disagreeing with the boss. It's not enough to just say we value open communication.
You have to actually live it. Create a space where people truly feel comfortable speaking up. Exactly. Leaders need to walk the walk. You know, be approachable, listen to those concerns, be willing to change their minds, and they need to actually create opportunities for those open discussions.
So what does that look like in practice? Well, for starters, having those regular check-in meetings where people are encouraged to share their thoughts. But it's not just about having the meeting. It's about creating that safe space. Imagine you're in a sprint planning meeting, and you have this nagging feeling that the solution they're proposing is way too But nobody else seems bothered by it.
Right. So you don't wanna be the only one who pushes back. That's where a good leader can make a big difference. They can specifically ask, what are some potential downsides we haven't considered? So framing those dissenting opinions as valuable contributions, not as something that's gonna disrupt the team.
Exactly. And even if the leader ultimately decides to go in a different direction, they can still thank that person for speaking up. That goes a long way in creating that psychological safety. It shows that you're actually listening, that you value their input even if you don't agree with it. Okay.
That makes sense. What about that devil's advocate role? Does the playbook talk about that? It does. It's a pretty powerful technique.
The idea is that you assign someone the role of challenging the group's assumptions. You know, asking those tough questions like, what are the risks here? Or is there a simpler way to do this? I like that. Someone whose job it is to poke holes in the team's ideas.
But how do you make sure it doesn't just become a formality? That's a good question. You don't want it to just become a routine exercise. So how do you make sure it actually leads to some deeper thinking? Well, you can make it a shared responsibility.
You can even rotate the role so everyone gets a chance to be the devil's advocate. I like that. And when it's their turn, they should feel empowered to really push back, you know, even be a little provocative if they have to. Their job is to stir the pot. That sounds like it could be a lot of fun being the designated disruptor.
It can be, and it can also be really valuable for the team. Now another key point from the playbook is having those regular reflection and retrospective sessions. That seems like a natural fit for agile teams. It is. It's built into the agile process.
Those sessions are the perfect time to step back and analyze how decisions are being made, you know, like taking the team's temperature. Are we all a little too much on the same page here? Yeah. Are we all thinking the same way a little too much? Exactly.
It's a chance to spot those groupthink symptoms before they lead to a big mistake. So it's not just about identifying the problems. It's about figuring out how to prevent them from happening again. Exactly. What are we gonna change going forward?
How will we make sure those changes actually happen? Turn that reflection into action. That makes sense. Now I'm curious. How much does the playbook talk about bringing in outside perspectives?
Oh, that's another one of their recommendations. Fresh eyes can often see things that the team misses, you know, because they're so close to the project. It's like that saying, you can't see the forest for the trees. Yeah. Exactly.
Someone from a different team or even a different department could bring a whole new perspective. So how do you do that effectively? Just invite someone to sit in on your meetings. That's one approach. Having an observer who's not directly involved can be really helpful.
They can just watch how the team interacts and offer their unbiased opinion. Interesting. Like a group think watchdog, are there any other ways to get those outside perspectives? Well, you can always ask for feedback from people outside the team, you know, stakeholders, do some surveys, hold a focus group, even just have casual conversations with people who are affected by the team's work. They might see things the team doesn't see.
Exactly. Especially if they're closer to the customer. Okay. That makes sense. Getting those different perspectives is really valuable.
But to be honest, sometimes asking for feedback can be kinda scary. You know? Hearing that maybe you're not doing as well as you thought you were. It's true. Feedback, especially critical feedback, can be tough to hear.
But in an agile playbook, they emphasize that seeking feedback isn't a weakness. It shows strength. It shows that you're committed to getting better. Right. It's about seeing feedback as an opportunity to grow, not as a personal attack.
That's a good way to look at it. And it's all about building better products. Right? Delivering more value. Okay.
One last thing before we wrap up this part of our deep dive. We talked about checklists and decision making frameworks. Can you say a little more about how those can help with groupthink? Sure. Those tools basically bring some structure and discipline to the decision making process.
So instead of just going with your gut or with whatever everyone else seems to think, you actually go through a checklist of key questions that helps make sure you're considering all the important factors. Not just the ones that support your initial assumptions. Right. It adds some rigor to the process and prevents those impulsive decisions that are just based on group agreement. So what kind of checklists or frameworks can teams use?
Oh, there are tons of options out there. It depends on the team and the project. But one popular one is the pros and cons list, you know, where you list all the advantages and disadvantages of each option. And then there's the decision matrix. That's where you assign weights to different criteria and then score each option based on those criteria.
It's about bringing in data to make those decisions Yeah. To help balance out those emotional biases that can creep in with groupthink. Exactly. And remember, it's not about eliminating emotion altogether. It's about finding that balance between data, intuition, collaboration, and independent thinking.
It's about making the smartest decisions possible. This has been really interesting so far. We've uncovered some of those subtle dangers of groupthink, especially for agile teams, and we started to explore some of those practical strategies from an agile playbook. We've made a good start. And in the next part of our deep dive, we're going to look at how those group think symptoms we talked about can actually lead to waste in agile projects.
We'll talk about understanding the real cost of decisions and how that can help teams make better choices. Welcome back. You know, before we jump into this next part, I was thinking about something you said earlier about groupthink potentially leading to waste in agile projects. Yeah. It's definitely something worth exploring.
Agile is all about efficiency, you know, eliminating waste. So how does groupthink fit into that? Well, let's go back to those 8 symptoms of groupthink that Yanis identified. A lot of them can directly lead to decisions that create waste, both in terms of time and resources. Okay.
I see where you're going with this. Like, take that first one, illusion of invulnerability. If a team really believes they can't go wrong, they might just rush into a decision without really thinking about the risks. Exactly. And that can cause a lot of problems down the line.
Let's say the team, you know, convinced they're brilliant, decides to build this super complicated reporting feature without even checking if anyone actually needs it. So they spend the whole sprint coding away, and then what do you know? Nobody uses it because they didn't bother to get any user feedback or consider a simpler solution. Complete waste of time. Perfect example.
Now let's add in collective rationalization. The team starts getting negative feedback. Maybe users are saying the feature is confusing, but instead of listening, they just dismiss it. They make excuses. Right?
Or people just need more training, or they'll get used to it and they just keep going even though it's pretty clear they need to change course. Yep. Throwing good money after bad. More time, more effort, all wasted on a solution that just isn't working. All because they're too stubborn to admit they made a mistake.
Exactly. And you know what makes it even worse? Those stereotyped views of outgroups, if the team just ignores anyone who raises concerns, you know, thinks they're clueless, they might miss out on some really valuable insights, insights that could have saved them a lot of trouble. Yeah. It's like they're shutting themselves off from the outside world.
Building walls, protecting their little bubble, and making bad decisions because of it. This is all making a lot of sense now. So we've got groupthink leading to waste, which is basically the opposite of agile. So how do we use this knowledge to actually make our agile processes better? Well, first things first, awareness.
We need to teach agile teams about groupthink. You know, help them recognize the signs. Like a groupthink warning system. Exactly. Give them the tools to spot it early on, and then we need to empower them to challenge those patterns.
Create a culture where speaking up, questioning things, offering different solutions, it's not just okay. It's encouraged. That brings us back to all those strategies we talked about. Right? Open communication, the devil's advocate, those reflection sessions, bringing in outside opinions.
Exactly. Think of those as your group think toolkit. I like that. Okay. So we're talking about efficiency value.
An agile playbook also talks about seeing the backlog as an asset, not a threat. Do you think that kind of mindset shift could help with groupthink too? That's interesting. I hadn't thought about that connection before. How do you see those two ideas relating?
Well, if we see the backlog as this flexible tool, something they can change, we're less likely to get stuck on decisions that aren't working. You know, we're more open to new information, to adjusting the plan. I see what you mean. It encourages a more experimental approach. Right?
The team is constantly learning, adapting. Exactly. It's not we have to stick to the plan no matter what. It's more like, okay. This isn't working.
Let's try something else. That's a great point. It really reinforces the whole idea of transparency, which is so important in agile. Everyone can see the backlog. Everyone knows what's going on.
That encourages more open communication. Break down those silos. And that leads to more diverse perspectives, which, as we said, is key to avoiding groupthink. So I'm wondering, how do we measure all of this? Are there metrics we can use to track our progress, you know, to see how well we're doing at fighting groupthink and making better decisions?
That's a great question. It's not as easy as just tracking number of dissenting opinions. We need to look at things that reflect the team's overall health. So things like cycle time, you know, how long it takes to complete tasks. Could that be an indicator?
Definitely. If you see cycle times getting longer and longer, it could mean the team is struggling with decision making or communication. Red flags for groupthink. What about looking at how much of the team's work is actually delivering value to the customer? If that number is low, it could mean they're wasting a lot of time on rework or things that don't really matter.
Absolutely. Wasted effort is a big sign of those groupthink driven decisions. And don't forget about team morale. Are people happy? Do they feel safe speaking up?
Do they feel like their opinions matter? Right. All important signs of a healthy team. But we all know numbers don't tell the whole story. Exactly.
Metrics are just tools. You need to combine them with qualitative observations and, most importantly, feedback from the team. You know, create a space where they can tell you what's working, what's not. Use data to help you understand, but don't let it be the only thing that guides your actions. Exactly.
It's that balance between data and human leadership. Okay. I think I'm really starting to get it now. How all these pieces fit together. Groupthink, those agile principles like open communication, continuous improvement, using metrics, and the goal of creating those amazing high performing agile teams.
And remember, in an agile playbook, they talk about creating a culture of continuous learning. Team should always be experimenting, getting feedback, adapting. It's that agile mindset, always learning, always improving. So how do we put all of this into practice? That's what we'll explore on our final part.
We'll get into some practical tips and real world examples to help you and your teams avoid those groupthink traps. Welcome back for the final part of our deep dive. We spent a lot of time talking about the theory of groupthink, but now it's time to get practical. How can we actually use all this stuff in our projects? Great question.
And an agile playbook actually has some pretty concrete advice on that. One of the things they really emphasize is having those clearly defined processes, you know, making sure everyone understands how things work. Okay. So everyone's on the same page, but how does that prevent groupthink? Well, think about it.
When there's a clear process in place, it actually reduces that pressure to conform. You know? People have a framework to guide them, so they're less likely to just go along with the crowd. Makes sense. So it's less about blindly following rules and more about having that shared understanding, which then makes people feel more comfortable speaking up.
Exactly. It gives them a foundation, you know, especially for new team members. They might be a little hesitant to challenge the way things are done. Yeah. They don't wanna rock the boat.
So it's like having that road map so you're not just wandering around lost. Yeah. Does the playbook recommend any specific processes or frameworks? It does. They specifically mention scrum, especially for teams that are new to agile.
Can you give us a quick rundown of what scrum is all about? Sure. Scrum is a framework for managing work, basically. It breaks work down into these smaller chunks called sprints. There's a big emphasis on collaboration and communication, and it has these built in mechanisms for, you know, reflection and adaptation.
So working together, learning from experience, and continuously improving. That's it in a nutshell. Now scrum isn't a magic bullet. It's not gonna be perfect for every team, but it's a good starting point. A solid foundation that you can adapt to make your own.
It's all about figuring out what works for you and your team, but even the best process won't help if people don't understand it right. Right. So you have to make sure everyone's familiar with the process, why it's important. Maybe that means some training, sharing some resources, or even just having open discussions about, you know, how the team wants to work. Building that shared understanding.
Okay. That makes sense. It all ties back to that idea of psychological safety that we were talking about earlier. And I know that's something that an agile playbook really stresses too. It's huge.
So can you remind us what psychological safety is and why it's so important for agile teams? Sure. Psychological safety is basically that feeling of knowing you can speak your mind, share your ideas, even make mistakes, and nobody's gonna punish you or make you feel stupid. So it's that feeling of being safe, being vulnerable. Exactly.
And it's absolutely essential for agile teams. If people are too afraid to speak up, to challenge ideas, to disagree, well, then you're only gonna hear from a very small group of people. Right. You're not gonna get that diversity of thought. Mhmm.
So how do leaders actually create that kind of environment? How do they foster psychological safety? Well, 1st and foremost, they have to lead by example. They have to be approachable, open to feedback, willing to admit when they're wrong. Show that it's okay to not be perfect.
Exactly. And they can also create those structured opportunities for people to share their thoughts and feelings. You know? Regular check ins, anonymous surveys, even just as informal conversations where people can open up without being judged. Yeah.
Creating those safe spaces. And then the key is how you respond. You know? Even if you don't agree with someone, thank them for sharing their perspective. Show them that you value their opinion.
It's all about respect. Okay. So we've got those clear processes, psychological safety. Any other practical tips from the playbook? Well, they also talk about the importance of regular reflection and continuous improvement.
We touched on this a bit in terms of preventing group think, but it seems like it's a bigger idea than that. Oh, yeah. It's essential for any agile team. It's about stepping back and asking how are we doing, what can we do better, and then actually making those changes. Making it a habit, a core part of how you work.
Exactly. That continuous learning mindset, that's what keeps teams agile and helps them avoid getting stuck in a rut. Well, this has been a fantastic deep dive. We started by uncovering the dangers of groupthink and how it can impact agile teams, and then we looked at all these strategies from an agile playbook to prevent it. Open communication, psychological safety, continuous improvement.
It's all connected. And, ultimately, agile is about delivering value right. Mhmm. So by understanding those decisions we make and really focusing on what matters, we can create those amazing agile teams, teams that are efficient and get stuff done. I love that.
It's been a pleasure chatting with you and exploring all these ideas. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into groupthink and agile teams.
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