Groupthink
A few years ago, Andrew and I were at a wine tasting near Niagara Falls. We walked into the small winery and over to the counter to sample what they had. The first wine was poured; Andrew took a sip, noting the flavors that stood out to him. I then took the same glass from him and had a sip. I also noted those flavors but then picked up on something different.
What was that taste? Peppermint? No… there’s no way that could be peppermint.
I cleansed my pallet with a pretzel and tried again.
Again, I got peppermint. Clear as day.
I finally mustered the courage and asked if there was peppermint. I felt soooo silly even asking. There’s no way there was, but I was undoubtedly tasting peppermint.
Confused, the person pouring the wine poured himself a sip to check. No, definitely no peppermint.
Embarrassed I let it go and we moved on to the next glass where I, once again, tasted peppermint. I’m not sure how many glasses had passed when we finally realized what was happening.
Andrew, who had been taking sips just before me with the same glass, had put on peppermint Chapstick just before entering the winery. When we discussed this, we laughed so hard. I was relieved to know that I wasn’t crazy and that I was, in fact, tasting peppermint.
While my desire to stay silent was strong, my familiarity with my husband and the security of our relationship gave me the courage to speak up. Typically, in any situation like this, when one’s opinion varies from the group, it is rare for them to maintain that opinion; the decision of the masses wins out and the dissent fades away. When the debate is about whether or not they put peppermint in the wine, the stakes are very low. However, in many organizations key moments of decision are made irrationally because there was not a safe space to speak up. In 1971, psychologist Irving Janis coined this phenomenon as groupthink: “when a group of well-intentioned people makes irrational or non-optimal decisions spurred by the urge to conform or the belief that dissent is impossible.”
Moral of the story is to speak confidently even when you feel crazy, and more importantly to create space in your life for dissenting opinions. Whether it be at home with your family, or at work with your team, create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up. Encourage all ideas, if one person is thinking it then chances are someone else is too. Either that or there’s a bizarre explanation for it, like peppermint Chapstick, and getting it out on the table will allow everyone to move forward.
