Replying to LO29220 --
Dear Jan,
Surely one of the greatest learning qualities of this list of dialoguers
remains for me the way assumptions are sometimes surfaced across
boundaries of time and space, culture and language. I slap my forehead!
Duh! My use of "group think" is specific, revolving around a clearly
negative import. I agree with what you wrote:
> I'm not against Group Think. I love GT. I use GT. I suppose 80% or more of
> our problems can be and are being solved very effective with Group Think.
> However, the other, the remaining problems, also generated as a by-product
> of solving problems with Group Think, cannot be solved by Group Thinking.
My own definition for this phrase is this: when people think in a herd,
rather than giving personal consideration to an idea; when people are
cowed (no pun intended) into accepting an idea by forces internal or
external to their being; when no challenger instinct manifests itself at
all, anywhere.
This phenomenon is a part of group dynamics, along with many other forces
working with, and against it. You may have another expression, indeed
another wonderful Dutch word for this phenomenon of which I write.
Warmest regards from my home office, outside of which yellow and red
inexorably blend into the green of Autumn on this, the first "official"
day. Who made it so official, anyway?
Barry
-- Barry Mallis The Organizational Trainer 110 Arch St., #27 Keene, NH 03431-2167 USA voice: 603 352-5289 FAX: 603 357-2157 cell: 603 313-3636 email: theorgtrainer@earthlink.netLearning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
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