 What do we do when we think our team is making a bad decision? Stick around to find out. Welcome back, and congratulations on taking one more step towards becoming one of the great leaders of tomorrow. This month we've been talking about courageous leadership, and so far we've talked mainly about how we think and solve problems courageously. But it's also important that we act courageously, and this can be one of the most difficult things we have to do as leaders. It could be really challenging to come to a decision sometimes or take an action that we know is going to be unpopular with our team or goes against the grain. Today we're going to talk about some practical steps we can take to avoid groupthink on our teams. One way we can act courageously in a group setting is by recognizing and avoiding groupthink on our teams. Groupthink occurs when a team is trying to solve a problem or make a decision, and members of the team hold back critical information or don't engage in critique of the discussion because they're afraid of the social consequences of going against the group. This can lead to the group coming to a decision they think is correct, but is actually based on incomplete information or a lack of critical thought. Even though groupthink is a serious problem, there are things we can do as a member of the team or as a team leader to minimize the effects. The best thing we can do is speak up. If we see or hear something that doesn't make sense or doesn't seem to fit the information in front of us, say something. Seek to include all of the relevant information to the problem and keep bringing that information up to the group. It's always important to be respectful, even as we continue to remind the group of important information and the team leader might decide that the information isn't as relevant as we might think it is, but that's okay, we're being intellectually honest by bringing it up. Another thing we can do is to encourage others to speak up about their doubts and concerns in the direction the group is headed in. We've all worked with someone who isn't confident speaking up to the group because they feel what they have to say won't be accepted. Seek out these people, ask them what their opinions are, and try to provide them opportunities to be heard by the group. There are also a few things we can do if we're the leader of the group to keep groupthink from taking over the team. First, be prepared. Read up on the problem and the relevant information from multiple perspectives and try to get some one-on-one time with the different stakeholders in the outcome. Once you're sitting down with the group, allow them to present their ideas, but require them to support their assertions with evidence and information. If part of the group claims they have the perfect solution, let them present it, but make them back it up. Ask probing questions based on the research you've already done and make sure the solution is thorough and complete. As the group discusses and works through the problem, look for individuals who are holding back or not participating. Actively solicit their opinions and any information they have that they may not have brought up yet. Sometimes the really quiet people have the best information, they're just waiting to be asked for it. Finally, if the decision isn't a time critical one, take some time to consider it before going forward. If it still sounds good, make it happen. But if after a few hours or days of consideration you think maybe the group moved too fast or missed something, call them back together and reevaluate. Working in groups can be a great way to come up with creative solutions to difficult or complex problems, but there can be pitfalls such as groupthink. And I don't want you to think that working in groups is all doom and gloom. It's possible for a group to very quickly arrive at a great solution to a problem, but there's a difference between true consensus and going along with the group just because it's expedient. The real takeaways here are to be aware of groupthink, how it can occur, and what we can do as leaders to prevent it. If you found this helpful, don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and join us every Friday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time for a live interactive leadership discussion on BLAM. Click off on that globe to the right. That'll get you subscribed to our email list and bring all of our content direct to your inbox. I want to thank you for watching today. I appreciate it as always. And remember, the future is out there. Lead the way.