Groupthink and Fear as Team Killers

Marc Dangizer and Jim Trott talk about the problems teams often face when no one on the team is willing to acknowledge the challenge if others don’t (groupthink) or because they are afraid of what the consequences might be if they do (fear). In either case, the team is far worse off because issues get addressed only when they are unavoidable – rather than early when it might have been easy.

Lean and Agile teams are not immune to this but Lean-Agile practices can make it less likely. And a true Lean-Agile culture can make it never happen.

We cover questions such as:

• Why it is helpful to a coach to focus on groupthink and fear. And why it is not always bad.
• As a manager, team member, or senior leader, how top spot groupthink and fear
• Whether and how Lean-Agile helps to address groupthink and fear.
• How to address this when you have mixed cultures, some that are happy to challenge and some that seek to preserve group identity.

If you are a coach or are engaged in Lean-Agile transformation, I am sure these questions have occurred to you.