Sometimes in teams, someone can bring up a horrible idea that just seems to spark something in people, and it keeps going. It hits an emotion, and people like action. Even if that action is a horrible idea.
Jumping in front of that snowball rolling down the hill or a high-speed train that is flying off the rails is risky. But absolutely essential.
Disagreement in groups is healthy. It is vital. It is fresh water flowing through the rapids. Otherwise, you run the risk of groupthink. Stagnant, still water that can poison people when left unstirred.
Groupthink is a flawed team thinking/decision making process. People are pressured to agree. It can be direct pressure or most likely the sweet nicey social pressure. The kind of pressure that people feel that its best for multiple reasons to belong to the club. Even when they have that little screaming voice inside of them saying, “This is a HORRIBLE idea.” They will still agree, regardless. This group process was identified as a reason the NASA space shuttle “The Challenger” exploded in mid-air, killing seven crew members, including a teacher.
No one wants to be seen as the traitor of the group. Especially when you are dealing with predictions of the future. Not all decisions are backed up by science.
So what do you do?
My advice? Ask questions. Plant breadcrumbs. And when that doesn’t work. Find your courage to speak up, with care.
Ask questions so people can explore the jumps ahead that you have already explored, so they can come up with the solution as if it’s their own idea.
If you want someone to do something and have them be really invested in the idea, make them think that your idea is their idea. They’ll pick it up and run with it. Drop little breadcrumbs and give it time to sink in. If that doesn’t work, you will need to be more obvious.
Relationships are what make all the gears run smoothly together. In my head, I like to refer to it as social lubricant. All these social rules that people follow to reduce the friction. Politics.
But bad things happen when good people say nothing.
So even if you have to risk being given the cold shoulder for a while until repair can happen slowly…someone has to say something. If not you, then who?
The most effective teams are ones that can manage conflict, and it makes the team even better. Not all teams have the skills to do that, and a lot of the time, intervention is required when teams become toxic. Conflict is not automatically abuse. There are all sorts of different kinds of conflict.
It can build trust when you handle conflict with care.
Horrible ideas need to die in boardrooms and not after a horrible public policy has inflicted pain on so many people. Speak up, people! Show some courage. Be willing to be disliked for a while.
There is a long history list of women who were willing to be disliked.
Bad things happen when good people say nothing.