One of the risks of running a workshop designed to generate new ideas is ‘Groupthink’. People will always seek consensus in a group setting and the facilitator encourages this. As a consequence, dissenting voices or challenging thinking will be squeezed out.
So how can you avoid Groupthink if you are facilitating a workshop? How can you ensure that individual voices and challenging ideas are seen and heard?
Here are a few suggestions.
1 set and Enforce Ground rules
Establish guidelines that promote open communication, constructive feedback, and respect for differing opinions. Emphasise the importance of listening actively and considering all perspectives before making decisions. Get everyone to sign up for this way of working.
If you’re the facilitator, ensure you model and encourage this behaviour. If you see people transgress - reinforce them.
2 invite diverse, outsider perspectives
Invite people who can offer fresh perspectives and challenge the group's assumptions. These could be outsiders with specific expertise or creative skills. Outsiders can disrupt groupthink by offering new ideas and viewpoints that may not have been considered before.
Give them a platform for airing alternative perspectives or sharing fresh insights.
3 encourage and reward independent thinking
Encourage participants to think independently and avoid automatically conforming to the group's consensus. You can do this by setting up exercises and tasks that force this to happen. For example, encourage working groups to focus on the flaws in their ideas or promote the opposite perspective.
Make sure everyone participates - not just the vocal or experienced people. Encourage everyone to voice their opinions even if they differ from the majority. Manage disagreements openly and fairly. Emphasise that changing your mind is not a sign of weakness.
4 Use anonymous feedback
Often in workshops, people are asked to vote for their favourite ideas. This usually involves allocating stickers to ideas captured on flipcharts. What frequently happens is that whoever goes first, sets the tone and everyone else falls into line.
Try to avoid this. Provide opportunities for participants to share their opinions anonymously. For example, get people to write down their top 3 ideas and give them to the facilitator who then shares the results. Or, use polling software where people vote individually and anonymously. For example, Slido.
This can help shy or dissenting voices feel more comfortable expressing their views. You’ll also get a ‘clean’ read of individual opinions that aren’t tainted by others.
5 rotate teams
If people work in the same teams all the time, everyone in that team will tend to share the same point of view. To avoid this, change up the teams regularly. Make them bigger, make them smaller. Mix and match people. This allows different voices to be heard. It prevents a single opinion from dominating. It also creates fresh energy and greater cross-fertilisation of ideas.
6 Promote critical thinking
Trusting your gut feeling is important. But allow space for critical thinking. Encourage participants to question assumptions, challenge ideas, and explore alternative solutions. Make sure opinions are backed by evidence. Seek out flaws in arguments. Facilitate discussions that consider multiple viewpoints before reaching a consensus.
Summary
Of course, getting to a consensus is important in workshops and ensuring common ground amongst the participants. However, beware of Groupthink. Be careful of jumping to conclusions without ensuring every voice is heard. Consider a range of alternatives.
Establishing the ground rules upfront is key. Create an environment where people feel confident enough to challenge Groupthink without fear of recrimination. Encourage participants to be critical thinkers. To be willing to change opinions or be open to new ideas.
Do this and the workshop will continue to be a useful forum for generating fresh ideas.