Groupthink and Why Conflict in a Team is Not Always a Bad Thing

I think one of the biggest challenges in group settings is what is called groupthink.

Groupthink happens when people in a group go along with decisions just to avoid disagreement, instead of questioning or debating ideas. Imagine you and your friends decide to go on a trip. One person suggests taking a new route that nobody has tried before. Without thinking, everyone agrees. No one stops to ask whether the road is safe, what the traffic is like, or if there will be places to refuel along the way. That is groupthink. Decisions are made because they seem easy or because everyone assumes the majority must be right.

A very common example of this happens on social media. One influencer shares an opinion, and before you know it, their followers start repeating it without thinking for themselves. It creates what I call the bandwagon mentality, where people just go with the flow without asking questions.

Now, there is a psychologist called Irving Janis who described eight signs that groupthink is happening. These include things like believing the group can never be wrong, ignoring warnings, blindly following morality, seeing outsiders as the enemy, pressuring anyone who disagrees, keeping silent to avoid conflict, assuming silence means agreement, and blocking out any information that challenges the group’s decision.

I see this play out all the time, especially in workplaces. Imagine being in a team meeting where a decision is made, and even though you think it is the wrong one, you keep quiet because you do not want to be the only one to speak up. Or maybe someone raises a valid concern, but they are brushed off or even laughed at. That is groupthink at work.

This is why I believe conflict is not always a bad thing. A lot of people hear the word "conflict" and immediately think of something negative. But conflict, when handled properly, can be a good thing. There is an old Yoruba saying that even the tongue and the teeth sometimes clash. No matter how close people are, disagreements will happen. It is normal. In fact, it is necessary.

The problem is that most organizations only talk about how to resolve conflict, but they never talk about how to use conflict to their advantage. I call this effective conflict. It is the kind of disagreement that challenges ideas, forces people to think critically, and leads to better decisions. When a team encourages constructive disagreements, they refine their thinking, explore different solutions, and avoid the dangers of groupthink.

That being said, too much negative conflict can be disruptive, but having too little of it can be just as harmful. It is about balance. If everyone agrees all the time, nobody is thinking hard enough.

So, how do you avoid groupthink? Encourage different perspectives. Create an environment where people feel safe to speak up. Play devil’s advocate. Bring in outside opinions. Give people the option to share anonymous feedback if they are afraid to speak in a group. And most importantly, take time to reflect on big decisions instead of rushing into them.

Groupthink is dangerous because it gives the illusion of unity, but it often leads to poor decisions. If you are in a group where nobody is questioning anything, where everyone just follows along, take a step back and ask yourself why.

So the next time someone disagrees with you, do not be so quick to dismiss them. Listen. Think about what they are saying. Challenge your own thinking. That is how real progress happens.