Groupthink: Bay Of Pigs Invasion Essay.

Groupthink is a process that has some specific negative implications. In teamwork, groupthink can actually steer the entire team’s effort towards a wrong direction. It is noteworthy that “A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there is no clear rules for decision making” (“What is Groupthink?”, n.d.). All such conditions were present at the time of making the decision of conducting the Bay of Pigs Invasion on Cuba. The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an utter failure which should be attributed to the process of the group leader, the President of the United States, succumbing to the menace of groupthink. From the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion one may learn that whenever groupthink starts getting grip on the thought process of a group, the group leader starts failing to ensure that members of the group take a wider perspective rather than advocating their own agenda throughout the life of the group (GlobalSecurity.org, n.d.). Moreover, what one can learn from the Bay of Pigs Invasion scenario is that, in the course of group decision making, the menace of groupthink must always be kept at bay, and the leader must always ensure that, the roles and responsibilities of every group member is specified, norms are encouraged, and standards are set, encouraging members to express their own views challenging wrong assumptions made by other group members (GlobalSecurity.org, n.d.). It is such practice that can ensure that a group decision making process is safeguarded against groupthink.

GlobalSecurity.org (n.d.). Victims of Groupthink. Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/ops/bay-of-pigs-groupthink.htm

What is Groupthink? (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm