Activities to Address Groupthink + Free Resource
Use these activities to help address and move beyond groupthink in a discussion
Dear collaborative discussion friends,
This week we are sharing two activities that can be used to move beyond groupthink. The first activity will help a group look at a particular issue in new and creative ways. The second activity will help participants in a discussion expand their thinking to consider all the various dimensions of a topic. We are also including a free resource that can be used as a reminder of which activities can serve as responsive interventions to groupthink.
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Free resource with activities to help address groupthink
Investopedia has a great definition of groupthink: “Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people. This desire creates a dynamic within a group whereby creativity and individuality tend to be stifled in order to avoid conflict.”
The following two activities can be used to intervene and help a group when they are stuck in a narrow way of thinking about a topic.
Activity 2.7 Expanding Thinking with Metaphors
Activity 2.7 Expanding Thinking with Metaphors. Metaphors are unusual comparisons that can help us see things in new ways. This activity can be fun way to stimulate creative discussion by encouraging the group to challenge their assumptions and default thinking.
By framing this activity as a playing with metaphors and ideas, it can also help create a safe space for individuals in the group to suggest ideas that are different than the majority or more powerful opinion in the group, with less worry about creating conflict.
Activity 3.5 Seeking Divergent Thinking
Activity 3.5 Seeking Divergent Thinking. This activity describes how to systematically examine a topic from a multi-dimensional approach. It encourages divergent thinking by asking participants to generate different questions and viewpoints about a single area of concern, deepening appreciation for complexity. The different dimensions can be used as frames to stretch a group’s thinking.
This activity can then be taken even further. The dimensions can be used as starting points to generate a list of all the alternative ideas or perspectives on a particular issue, the different stakeholders related to an issue, the different factors that need to be taken into consideration when solving the issue, or the various possible consequences of particular actions.
Printable PDF of 2 activities to address groupthink
Download and print out copies of this PDF to use as a reminder of which activities can act as responsive interventions to the problem of groupthink and share with fellow educators, facilitators, or team leaders.
Shareable image of 2 activities to address groupthink
Share this image online with fellow educators, facilitators, or team leaders as a reminder of which activities can act as responsive interventions to the problem of groupthink.
Upcoming Events
5 Practices for Better College Discussions Workshop Series. Invite college students to register and attend these workshops for an introduction to the necessary skills for robust class conversations! The upcoming workshops in this series will take place online from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm (eastern) on November 6 and November 20. Share this link for them to register!
CDP Community Gathering. Mark your calendars! Our next community gathering is Thursday, November 14th at 12 pm (eastern). It will include a Q&A session, so bring your questions about using activities from the toolkit, offering certificate programs, or any other questions you may have about the CDP. We will also have a casual discussion exploring future possibilities for the CDP. All are welcome! Register here.
Looking forward to collaborating,
Ritu, Shannon, & the Collaborative Discussion Team