It is the responsibility of the leader to create an environment in which people can disagree in a productive way. Use Dissent Cards whenever you need to create an environment for people to contribute, even if it means disagreeing with the group.
We cannot necessarily see what others see. It is important to create environments where people feel it is safe to share what they see.
When the majority of group agrees the social pressures for a person to disagree
plummets.
Solomon Asch’s Conformity Experiment proves the impact of social pressure. 75% of participants agreed with the wrong answer because they did not want to go against the group.
People conform for two main reasons:
- To fit in with the group. Not be the odd one out.
- The group is better informed than they are. If everyone at the table is giving the same answer the team must see something they don’t so they don’t say anything.
