A lot of time, energy and money is spent each year by organizations striving to strengthen their internal teams and therefore improve their performance. But is there such a thing as too much love?

Sadly, yes! Although it’s been a few decades since Irving Janis first coined the groupthink concept,and it is one of many communication theories, there is still much to be learned from the essence of his original concept. It goes something like this: groupthink occurs when highly cohesive groups are pressured to make important or quality decisions; they desire unanimity above all and therefore do not consider alternatives, leading to faulty decision making.

Now, this is not to say you should be worried if you have a highly functioning group of team players who understand and are committed to your vision. Celebrate it! But you might want to watch for signs of groupthink and adjust your planning approaches accordingly.

Why does this matter? Because failing to examine alternatives or offering constructive criticisms, or not thoroughly gathering information means you are not getting the whole picture. And you might be missing out on the great ideas which often happen when obstacles become opportunities. Classic signs of groupthink are a feeling of invulnerability or superiority and the ability to rationalize poor decisions. Members hold back their thoughts in fear of upsetting the group. It’s like peer pressure in reverse!

Here are some updated suggestions for combating groupthink in your organization:

• Ask each team member to critique suggestions and provide objections and doubts.
• Avoid expressing your opinion when assigning a task to a group.
• Assign several independent groups the task of working on the same problem.
• Use an independent peer review, a panel of objective experts to review your proposed plan.
• Appoint a devil’s advocate whose job is to deconstruct and shoot holes in your plan.
• Divide into groups and discuss differences; report back to the larger group.
• Use the services of a professional facilitator.
• Hire outside help to guide your planning.
• And my personal favourite, have a "last chance" meeting to offer one final opportunity to choose another course of action.