Although we explored last week how individual fallacies are exacerbated in groups, the good news is that groups can reduce patterns of fallacies in individuals, as well.

Groups provide a reference point to assist an individual in overcoming biases. Consider how dialogue that focuses on assumptions can facilitate that bias.

Also the availability fallacy is reduced in individuals who operate in groups. With more voices at the table, individuals are exposed to more options and what various members have in short term memory is diverse, contributing to more flexible thinking.

How have you used paraphrasing and posing questions to reduce the fallacies as you work as individuals inside a group? How do the fallacies offer insights into holonomy? How might you mediate the thinking of your groups to capacitate their skills in reducing fallacies?

Reference

Sunstein, C. & Hastie, R. (2014). Making Dumb Groups Smarter. Harvard Business Review, p. 90-98.