Group-think,
which is actually an assimilation of yes-men, is often a red flag
that there is a deeper pathology buried in the organization. In the
group-think mentality, there is a price – often implicit – that
has to be paid for speaking one's mind. Although most organizations
pay lip service to free speech and the like, there is little free
speech in this type of group. Group-think cultures suffer from a
pervasive lack of trust, communication and cooperation.
In
the group-think organization the leadership constantly complain
that they can get no commitment or cooperation from the rank and
file. Indeed, this is the first signal that the leadership itself is
corrupted. In my experience there is also a pervasive feeling of
“walking on eggshells” in an attempt not to jostle the leadership
with any ideas alien to their own.
