Dare to Think Differently

There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to think through things in business or in life, as long as you know how to think for yourself. Although collaboration is an important tool for you to use, you should not have to rely on it every time you need to make a decision about something. The people who excel and stand apart are the ones who dare to think differently from those around them. They are not afraid of conflicting opinions, and they are not quick to change their minds just because they are in the minority.

Collaboration can help boost critical thinking and creativity if the individual members of the group feel comfortable voicing their ideas without fear of judgment or retaliation. However, if they are not comfortable, collaboration can quickly become groupthink. And as George S. Patton once said, “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” Most people do not intend for groupthink to occur, nor do they realize it is happening. It can be as simple as someone presenting an idea and saying how excited they are about it, then asking what everyone else thinks. The person who presented their idea is looking for affirmation, not honest feedback in that case.

One way that you can prevent groupthink is to assign someone to be the devil’s advocate during each team meeting. The assigned individual is in charge of fighting against every single idea that gets thrown out there. The team will then explain why it is a good idea or concede to the devil’s advocate. Not only is it a fun way to increase someone’s participation, it also ensures that the team is fully thinking through their ideas. Similarly, can you also assign someone to come up with the wildest, silliest ideas they can think of to start off the meeting in order to loosen the team’s nerves about articulating their own ideas.

When businesses are training their employees, not only do they need to teach their people how to think for themselves, they should also be encouraging them to think differently. No one should be afraid to speak up if they have a differing opinion, a new idea, or any concerns. Encourage open communication amongst the team, but most importantly, dare to think differently.

-Meghan Slaughter