By The Way...

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
12:07:00 PM EST
Hearing Nothing at the moment
Two heads may be better than one, but six head? Not so much:

People have a harder time coming up with alternative solutions to a problem when they are part of a group, new research suggests.

Scientists exposed study participants to one brand of soft drink then asked them to think of alternative brands. Alone, they came up with significantly more products than when they were grouped with two others. The finding could be good news for advertisers who buy spots during big events like the Super Bowl, since consumers often view those commercials with others.

The clouded thinking might also extend into corporate boardrooms.

Corporate boards making incredibly poor decisions? That's unpossible!

This study doesn't surprise me too much -- in groups there's a premium on reaching a consensus, more than arriving at the best possible solution. This is why if you have more than five people trying to go to a restaurant, you always end up going to the safest choice, because that way there's a better chance of everyone being happy. The only way you end up at that really great Ethiopian place rather than Applebee's is if someone in the group is willing to be a jerk about it.

Not that I have that choice: small town Ohio is not packed with Ethiopian cuisine. But you know what I mean.

When you're in a crowd, trying to make a decision, do you aim for consensus? Or are you willing to stick out your neck for a decision you really want?


Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

This entry has 4 comments: (Add your own)

• #4 Comment from glynpretender 
  2/22/07 2:02 PM | Permalink

  "A three fold cord is not easily broken." And I will add; A bolt,  lock washer,  and nut,  are not easily defeated. In the corporate field you should enpower the force of three  in decision making but this power of three involves correct gender relationships. The 360 cirle of completeness. Two women with one man.  
• #3 Comment from speakertomanager 
  2/21/07 2:16 PM | Permalink

  Not only quality, but time to make a decision suffers: the larger the lunch group  the more time it takes to decide where to go.  Worse still, I think it's an exponential function; more than about 18 people and they won't reach a decision during the probable lifetime of the  universe.
• #2 Comment from justplainbill 
  2/21/07 12:35 PM | Permalink

  And the King is called a Chairman or Chairperson whose purpose and goal is to arrive at the best decision not necessarily a concensus. Committees are good for getting input from a lot of sources. The votes do not necessarly have to be a concensus but it is generally majority rule, that is where the King comes into play.
  Bill
• #1 Comment from monponsett 
  2/21/07 12:22 PM | Permalink

  That's why there's a King.