I thought we already had a catch phrase for this, and that phrase is 'group think'.

This is a problem that has troubled the business world, and their have been techniques developed to help prevent it.  Take brainstorming for example.  The traditional way to brainstorm is to get a piece of chart paper or find a whiteboard and start writing down everyone's thoughts on a given topic.  The problem is that people get focused on what others have said and stop thinking for themselves.  What is already written on the board becomes the sum of the knowledge of the group, although there is more still sitting in people's heads - they just don't know it because they are focused on what has come before.

In order to prevent this, brainstorming has become a private/public affair.  First, write down privately what your thoughts are on a topic.  Then everyone reveals what they have written.  This removes the tendency to get focused on one idea, and allows more of the 'problem space', as the article puts it, to be explored.  After the public round, you may repeat the process, as the revelations may have kicked off other ideas in people's minds.

And, this is why large corporations keep design bureaus in several different countries.  They can share new ideas, but don't have the interconnections necessary to get caught up in group think.  For example, in addition to chip design in the U.S., Intel also has a design bureau in Israel.

Posted by: jcallery at 10:54 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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