Critical Thinking in Groups

Conventional Wisdom

Conventional wisdom holds that groups make better decisions than individuals because they draw from a base of talent and experience.

Be Conscious of Process

However, Airmen must be conscious of how group decisions are made and create teams capable of applying critical thought to problems in group settings.

Conscious Structure

Airmen engaged in group decision-making must consciously structure the process to encourage critical thinking to prevent momentum from simply leading the group toward conformity.

Four Considerations for Group Decision-Making

4 Group Decision Considerations.

Who should be involved in the decision process?
In what sort of environment should the decision take place?
How will the participants communicate?
How will the leader control the decision process?

Wisdom of Groups

While keeping in mind that groupthink does exist, consider establishing groups for decision-making with these qualities:

Members that represent many different disciplines and areas of expertise
Have the group discussions in a decentralized location
Be able to effectively aggregate all the individual judgments
Seek group members who are independent, meaning not subordinate to one another

Hindrances to Groups

Behaviors that are contradictory to working in groups should NOT be tolerated, such as:

Withholding information for personal reasons
Filtering information
Selectively presenting information up the chain of command to inadvertently affect the group's efforts

Leader Awareness

Leaders who are in positions to make decisions based on the recommendations of a group should be aware of:

How the group was set-up
How well it operated

…to have an understanding of what the decision was, as well as the dynamics of how the decision was made.

Decision-Making Teams

Decision-Making Team Qualities

When creating or observing qualities of good teams, look for:

Individuals who are able to sway others in the crowd
Individuals who are able to contribute and speak up when in a group dynamic
Members who demonstrate independence and the ability to overcome hierarchical stigmas
Members who encourage honest, candid analysis and contributions from others, even when not in complete alignment with their own

Most Successful Groups

The most successful groups will consist of a good balance of individuals who:

Do NOT dominate discussions
Do NOT constantly remain in the background

Critical Thinking in Groups