…a new idea was raised.
Organizations are wonderful at building up their insularity, at raising a wall surrounded by a moat to keep disruptive ideas from getting in. They develop their own conventional wisdom, their own collection of things that everyone knows. Since everyone knows these things, no one ever thinks to re-examine them to find out if they are, in fact true, or just part of a mass hallucination.
Mass hallucination, also known as group think. The situation in an organization where everyone acts as though they are un-thinking parts of a single machine with one brain rather than independently operating thinking units.
Too often the group think of the many becomes so strong that suggestions and ideas at variance with what everyone knows become unwelcome an ignored. It doesn’t take long to learn to keep your mouth shut.
And so new ideas and solutions die without even being suggested.
An interesting result of this is that when everyone believes in something’s brilliance…it’s really time to watch out. Mass hallucination is likely to be taking everyone right over the cliff.
Luckily there is a cure. Encourage dissent and debate. Enjoy wild ideas. Continuously evaluate anything that everyone knows is true. Bring in outsiders with differing views to participate in your discussions…and listen to what they have to say. Rock the boat on a regular basis by challenging the organization’s most deeply held beliefs. Hold nothing back for with a truly open and honest dialogue about anything and everything you’ll drain the moat, tear down the wall, and leap forward to greater success.
Beware of mass hallucination.