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The Pitfalls of Group Decision-Making
by Eduard Hernandez
How do groups stumble into failure when making decisions on a project? Decision-making is as much about avoiding pitfalls as it is about seizing opportunities. Learn how to effectively problem solve on small and large projects!
Key Takeaways
- Anticipate difficulties
- Perceive and acknowledge issues
- Work to solve problems early on
- Develop successful and workable solutions
Ah, the thrill of decision-making in project management! The excitement, the brainstorming sessions, the camaraderie—and occasionally, the spectacular failures. As I recently delved into Jared Diamond’s Collapse, I was struck by his masterful analysis of how groups stumble into failure. In Chapter 14, Diamond outlines four categories of decision-making pitfalls that resonate deeply with our modern project challenges.
Let’s take a tour through these categories, illustrated by historical examples from his book and mirrored by some contemporary project misadventures.
1. Failing to anticipate a problem
In Collapse, Diamond discusses how the Norse in Greenland failed to anticipate the Little Ice Age. They stuck to their European farming methods despite the changing climate, which ultimately led to their downfall. Fast forward to our era and think of the blockbuster flop that was Google Glass. The product team, dazzled by the tech’s potential, didn’t anticipate consumer privacy concerns and the social stigma of being a “Glasshole.” Just like the Norse, they stuck to their vision, blind to the gathering storm.
2. Failing to perceive a problem
Diamond points out the classic case of the Easter Island civilization, which didn’t perceive the long-term consequences of deforestation. They chopped down every tree, oblivious to the environmental collapse it would trigger. A modern echo of this is the infamous Boeing 737 Max debacle. Despite internal warnings and obvious design flaws, Boeing failed to perceive—or at least acknowledge—the gravity of the problem until it was too late, resulting in tragic crashes and a costly grounding of the fleet.
3. Failing to try to solve the problem
The classic Maya civilization, another of Diamond's examples, saw environmental degradation and political strife but failed to address these issues effectively. Contemporary parallel? Think of Blockbuster. They saw the rise of digital streaming but chose to ignore it, clinging to their brick-and-mortar model until Netflix and other streaming services had eaten their lunch. It wasn’t that they didn’t perceive the problem; they simply didn’t try to adapt in time.
4. Failing to solve the problem successfully
Lastly, Diamond discusses the example of the Soviet irrigation projects in Central Asia that led to the Aral Sea disaster. They recognized the problem and tried to address water scarcity, but their solutions were catastrophic, turning the sea into a toxic desert. A modern-day counterpart would be the development of the F-35 fighter jet. Despite massive investment and numerous attempts to address its issues, the project has been plagued by cost overruns and technical failures, making it one of the most controversial military projects today.
In conclusion, decision-making is as much about avoiding pitfalls as it is about seizing opportunities. By reflecting on historical and contemporary examples of failed group decisions, we can learn to navigate the complexities of our own projects with a bit more savvy—and perhaps a dash of humility. So, the next time you’re in a meeting and someone says, “What could possibly go wrong?” just remember: quite a lot, actually.
How to Escape Functional Fixedness
By Yasmina Khelifi, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA, PMP
Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset as a project manager? How do you avoid “functional fixedness?” Learn more in this month’s article from PMI!
Key Takeaways
- Seek reverse mentoring.
- Listen to diverse voices.
- Take roles at work—or outside it—in different areas.
When you begin to work in project management, you have much to learn and need to build credibility and trust with stakeholders. You are alert to new things, new behaviors, and the need to continuously improve.
Yet you may become overconfident about your project management competencies as the years pass. You may develop comfortable routines. You may fall into what psychologists call functional fixedness, a cognitive bias that sometimes prevents you from thinking of novel or creative solutions to problems.
How can you get trapped in functional fixedness?
It may sound counterintuitive because we have more information at our disposal these days at work and on social media: reports, posts, or lessons learned from organizations or individuals.
When I studied at university, the information came from the internet, printed books, or professors. Nowadays, we have all the materials and content to learn new things. However, because we are overwhelmed, we narrow down the content based on our interests. And we may become entrenched in the same areas.
It is essential to remain open to other industries, knowledge, content, and people.
How do you escape functional fixedness?
- Seek reverse mentoring. Reverse mentoring (also known as upward mentoring) is a professional development practice where a less experienced or junior employee is a mentor to a more experienced or senior colleague. The goal is to tame your ego. You will gain new perspectives that will help you to interact with your younger team members. If you feel intimidated, you may begin with small steps: Ask the young intern to review your slide deck and ask you questions, or repeat your presentation in front of them.
- Listen to diverse voices. You may have a young intern or colleague close to retirement in your projects. Or perhaps you are a technical project leader who has to collaborate with the marketing department. All have valuable inputs to give you. All can help you discover new horizons. You may have former university friends who work in other industries; talk with them to understand their challenges and how they solve them.
- Take roles at work—or outside it—in different areas. You may not have a remarkably diverse workplace. Look for communities or activities you can get involved in to immerse yourself in a different environment. You can define what “different” means for you. Differences can embrace social, economic, or academic backgrounds, along with ages, countries, cultures, genders, etc.
On the contrary, you may be in a diverse workplace, but you don’t take the time to talk genuinely with your colleagues to learn more. Have one-on-one breaks with some of them to exchange information.
Regardless of your situation, once you experience a new situation (that you naturally find or intentionally look for), observe how you feel:
- What do you like about the situation?
- What do you find disturbing?
- What are you learning?
Making efforts to remain open will protect you from functional fixedness. What strategies do you use to embrace novelty?
