Conformity bias
"Be cool or be cast out." - Rush
Conformity doesn’t just apply to the themes of Rush songs. This happens all the time in almost every aspect of the workplace. The encouragement to go along with organizational norms, not rock the boat, maintain status quo and appease multiple stakeholders.
We see people hired with identical skillsets, we hear "this is how we've always done it" in process design and we sit in meetings where people don't speak-up even when they disagree.
Conforming is rarely malicious. Often times, people avoid expressing dissenting ideas based on a fear of standing-out or being perceived as wrong. We are tribal creatures and we're deeply wired with a sense of wanting to belong. Going against those instincts can be scary, especially if you're doing it on a consistent basis.
This is why it's important to put systems (like the ones below) in place. Otherwise, we're relying on sheer willpower to constantly challenge ourselves…which is a much less reliable approach. Many of these systems each include multiple tactics, so I've linked to prior guidance where appropriate…
Psychological safety
If we want to encourage our teams to go against the grain when needed, we need to create psychologically safe environments. Environments where speaking-up or trying new things are not punished but celebrated.
Building relationships. Reframing failures as learning opportunities. Giving second (and third) chances. These are all ways of normalizing psychological safety by promoting growth and innovation.
It takes time and commitment to build this environment and it's much easier to lose progress than it is to gain it. For this reason, you can't just do it when it's convenient. It should be happening every day.
Diverse teams
Diverse teams bring different perspectives. That's exactly what you want in order to avoid an echo-chamber. You want people who think about the world differently and are willing to share a different point of view.
What if your team isn't naturally diverse today? Invite new people in. This doesn’t mean you have to hire new people. Instead, invite diverse perspectives from other areas of the organizations into your meetings and even decision making processes.
Of course, when you get the chance to hire…you should also be looking for skills, cognitive behaviors and perspectives that are different from what you already have. If you have a team of 9 marketing experts, adding a 10th won't make near as much difference as adding someone with a complimentary sales or operations background.
Assign a devil's advocate
Assigning someone to play the role of devil's advocate can be a powerful tool. Not only does it intentionally challenge consensus, but it sends a signal to the entire team that you are willing to question assumptions.
The person playing devil's advocate should challenge ideas, not the people or personalities sharing them. At the same time, they should be prepared to really challenge an idea if they see a potential issue or blind-spot. This doesn’t work as a check-the-box activity.
Speak last
Conformity often follows the leader. Once a leader weighs-in or gives their opinion, it becomes much more likely that it will dictate the course of action. Pay attention to this in your own meetings and you'll notice how open discussions tends to quickly come to an end when the leader gives their opinion.
To encourage open discussion and differing points of view, refrain from weighing-in with your opinion until the team has really had a chance to discuss the issue. You can always use the Speak Less, Speak Last or WAIT techniques as helpful reminders.
This Week's Action Items:
Take steps to create a psychologically safe environment
Invite diverse perspectives to your team, meetings and decision making processes
Leverage the Devil's Advocate strategy to encourage different viewpoints.
As leaders, allow others on the team to share their perspective before weighing-in.
