How to fight the groupthink that happens when we work virtually…
Groupthink is defined by this FastCompany article as “the phenomenon in which decision-making is ruled by the ease of conformity.”
Ok, so maybe this article isn’t exactly meant for our eye care profession, but it got me thinking…
- Do we, as practitioners, fall into a form of “groupthink” when treating our patients, whether we’re examining them in-person or via telemedicine?
- Are we giving our staff a chance to speak up?
In other words…
Are we conforming to old ways of thinking and, therefore, doing things that may be outdated in our practice?
- Do we bow to the conformities of our practice’s culture?
- Are we just “doing what we’ve always done” without questioning if it’s in the best interest of our patients?
- Have we gotten used to old systems that no longer serve us or our patients?
- Are we getting in the way of innovation because we usurp the conversations with our staff (or, worse yet, intimidate them so that they’re afraid to offer up new ideas)?
Have you ever taken a step back to evaluate where you can begin to innovate in your practice, change a process your staff has grown complacent about, or reevaluate one of your worn-out systems?
Something else that struck me about this article…
Groupthink can appear because of “a (sometimes unconscious) underlying desire to just get [things] over with,” according to the article’s author, Erica Dhawan, “especially when conversations are dominated by one or two people.”
Again, we have to ask ourselves…
Are we creating a practice culture that allows our staff (and ourselves!) the openness and safety to eliminate groupthink and encourage innovation?
Now, back to the topic of VIRTUAL groupthink…
Although we are (most likely) not conducting staff meetings online, we may be engaging in telemedicine for the very first time. I believe this article can still relate to the way we engage with patients during a telemedicine session:
There’s still a danger in trying to get it over with by not listening closely or well enough to the patients’ concerns, by assuming we know what they need, or by appearing as though we’re not even interested in what they have to say!
In the end, the author of the article, Erica, believes that “online collaboration has even more groupthink than traditional meetings.” She calls this rising phenomenon “Zoomthink.”
Erica lists great ideas for fighting this phenomenon, and I’ll just add this one more for patient telemedicine encounters: make sure to give your patients the same respect for time, attention, and diagnostic talents you give them in person.
If you’d like to read the full article in FastCompany and find out how to combat this growing phenomenon, please click here.
If you enjoy this article and would like to learn more about growing your practice’s profits, sign up on the sidebar (on the desktop) or down below (on mobile) for your FREE cheatsheet. If you’d like to receive more tips on growing your eye care practice, go ahead and confirm your email (don’t forget to check your spam, junk, and/or promotional folders) – you’ll still get the cheatsheet even if you decide not to receive any more emails as a thank you for visiting my website!
Leave a Reply