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Re: IESG Statement on Revised guidance for interim meetings

2008-09-02 17:26:29


On Sep 2, 2008, at 5:14 PM, Dave CROCKER wrote:



Russ Housley wrote:
In summary, email discussion has less tendency toward "group think"  
than
face-to-face gatherings.


Of course. Humans are hierarchical social animals; it is very hard for  
most people to disagree with a room
full of people.

Maybe even more pertinently for technical work, it is very hard (for  
most people) to think in depth
in a room full of people.

IMHO confirming decisions on the list is a very valuable sanity check  
and should not be dropped under
any circumstances.

Regards
Marshall



Interesting.  I hadn't connected with that term, for this, but it's  
really quite
apt.

The Wikipedia article on the term, at:

  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink>

is useful for considering working group processes that lead to bad  
decision-making.

Notably:

Symptoms of groupthink

In order to make groupthink testable, Irving Janis devised eight  
symptoms
that are indicative of groupthink (1977).

1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and  
encouraging
risk taking.

2. Rationalising warnings that might challenge the group's  
assumptions.

3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing  
members to
ignore the consequences of their actions.

4. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil,  
disfigured,
impotent, or stupid.

5. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions  
the group,
couched in terms of "disloyalty".

6. Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group  
consensus.

7. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as
agreement.

8. Mindguards — self-appointed members who shield the group from  
dissenting
information.


Would that email discussion were enough to guard against these  
weaknesses.

d/

-- 

  Dave Crocker
  Brandenburg InternetWorking
  bbiw.net
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