Require independent articulation before group discussion…
Require independent articulation before group discussion to surface the full diversity of team understanding rather than allowing early convergence to suppress divergent perspectives.
Why This Is a Principle
This principle derives from Shared mental models among group members determine what… (shared mental models determine perception) and Common knowledge enables coordination without communication… (common knowledge enables coordination). It prescribes independent-then-compare as a design pattern. This prevents the suppression of unique information and makes model divergences visible before they cause coordination failures.
Source Lessons
Shared mental models enable coordination
When team members share the same understanding of the situation they coordinate naturally — without constant explicit communication.
Making team thinking visible
Externalization practices applied at the team level reveal collective thinking that would otherwise remain invisible and unimprovable.
Team cognitive biases
Groups have their own biases above and beyond individual ones — groupthink, anchoring, shared information bias, and polarization.
Decision-making protocols for teams
Explicit processes for how teams make decisions prevent power dynamics, cognitive biases, and social pressure from dominating the outcome. The best team decision protocols are not bureaucratic — they are cognitive infrastructure that ensures the team thinks well under pressure.