What is the primary risk of falling into groupthink?

The primary risk of falling into groupthink is the possible neglect of critical viewpoints and divergent ideas. Groupthink occurs when a group prioritizes consensus and harmony over critical analysis and independent thinking. In this situation, team members may suppress their own opinions or fail to speak up, leading to the acceptance of faulty reasoning or poor decisions. This lack of dissent prevents the evaluation of alternative viewpoints and diminishes the quality of the decision-making process. It can hinder creativity, limit innovation, and result in overlooking fundamental flaws in reasoning or planning, ultimately jeopardizing the group's effectiveness and outcomes.