By PROF. VINCENT BAGIRE
In the first Issue of this year, I reflected on my talk to the Laity on planning for the year. One of the issues that I observed was the richness that we all have in social capital; by way of networks and contacts. We should all recognize that hard times are continuous. Our rush of decisions could be disastrous. In fact, we are continually going past crossroads. This message is targeted to us all who think and act as groups as well as individually. We as humans hide in groups but it is normal. It is said that to know people, understand the groups they belong to. I am wary of individuals getting lost in groups, a phenomenon called ‘Group think’.
Groups that we belong to, the formal and informal ones alike always build and shape our character. Never the less, being in groups can also destroy our character. Actually, in growing up, we were warned of ‘groups’. Each one of us knows of friends he or she can easily refer to whose behavior influenced our upbringing.
For my young readers, look around and identify peers whose insights are impacting you right now. We have all been made by fitting
into groups. Groups form, grow, change and dissipate.
I have previously written about teamwork and shown that fully developed teams have strong internal cohesion. The members exhibit
common characteristics and will realize the group objectives jointly. However, when we talk about groups, it’s a row form of teams. Groups are loose in nature; either members have just come together and still learning each other’s characters, or people have stayed together for a while but circumstances have still not favored them to knit. We have organizations, departments, or sections where teamwork has eluded the members. They are characterized by internal squabbles, limited information exchange and diversity in thinking and acting. Such a group will often be inefficient and non-productive. There is still a high level of individualism. Next on our scale of this analysis is a crowd. We know from basic English that a crowd is a group of many people who are together for no common purpose. Often, the crowd is not structured. In Church, we are not a crowd but around a playground watching a football match, we are. In later Issues, I will write about Group thinking. Today, let me pick out a single idea of giving in partially to something. This is the tenet of compromising. It is not losing. As the year builds up, I remind you of the readiness for the crises that come across our way. We have economic and social pressures. Group thinking may be a tendency to withhold individual wisdom. In this regard, individuals tend to keep silent on general matters and wait to go by what others say or do.
We may all lose as group wisdom is stalled. Inherently, we are at such crossroads with many needs in life. To paddle through the
pressures within, which we have started this year requires wisdom of give and take. This is where we go half way. We strike agreements
against pressures from others. Individually, we must think of our lives, family and friends whom we may endanger if we are stuck within our selfish positions. In all Catholic and social groupings we belong to, group think or silence may prevail and individual wisdom will be lost. As we steer in these times, our personal voices and actions are the mighty solutions but not strict to our own positions. Let us meet others half way.
“We
as humans
hide in groups
but it is
normal. It is
said that to
know people,
understand
the groups
they belong
to. I am wary
of individuals
getting lost
in groups, a
phenomenon
called ‘Group
think”
The Author is a member of the Episcopal Commission for the Laity and Professor of Management at Makerere University Business School.
Email:vbagire@mubs.ac.ug
