Team Reflexivity as an Antidote to Team Information-Processing Failures

Abstract

This article proposes that team reflexivity-a deliberate process of discussing team goals, processes, or outcomes-can function as an antidote to team-level biases and errors in decision making. We build on prior work conceptualizing teams as information-processing systems and highlight reflexivity as a critical information-processing activity. Prior research has identified consequential information-processing failures that occur in small groups, such as the failure to discuss privately held relevant information, biased processing of information, and failure to update conclusions when situations change. We propose that team reflexivity reduces the occurrence of information-processing failures by ensuring that teams discuss and assess the implications of team information for team goals, processes, and outcomes. In this article, we present a model of team information-processing failures and remedies involving team reflexivity, and we discuss the conditions under which team reflexivity is and is not likely to facilitate performance.

Team reflection makes resilience-related knowledge explicit through collaborative sensemaking: observation study at a rail post

“…However, the approach contains an inherent complexity. The success of the reflection making resilience relevant knowledge explicit depends on the individuals, group dynamics and culture of the environment (Gabelica et al 2014;Schippers et al 2014). Moreover, it also depends on the information provided to the team to reflect on.…”

“…communication). The results of such a reflection can be fed back into the planning and action/adaptation loop to improve team performance (Schippers et al 2014). However, in our case, the objectives of reflection are to transform implicit to explicit knowledge, at the sharp end, relevant to the resilience of a socio-technical system as a whole rather than the team itself as a focal point for reflection.…”

“…We propose team reflection (Ellis et al 2014;Reymen 2003;Schippers et al 2007Schippers et al , 2014West 2000;Wiedow and Konradt 2010) as a mechanism for the team at the sharp end to make the resilience-related knowledge explicit. The resilience-related knowledge is defined as the knowledge required to adapt to goal-relevant constraints (Rasmussen1985) imposed by the goals of the STS as they occur due to unexpected and unforeseen events .…”

“…Team reflection includes behaviours such as questioning, analysis, making use of knowledge explicitly, reviewing past events with self-awareness and coming to terms over time with a new awareness (West 2000). Team reflection, in a loop with planning and action, is commonly used in a broader reflexive process (Schippers et al 2014;West 2000) where team members collectively reflect upon the team's objectives, strategies (e.g. decisionmaking) and processes (e.g.…”

Toward quantifying metrics for rail-system resilience: identification and analysis of performance weak resilience signals

“…By providing a means of uncovering potential factors that comprise a WRS, a WRS analysis function can be implemented to guide the WRS selection process and enhance corridor team reflectivity. In this context, reflectivity is defined as the deliberate process of discussing and evaluating team goals, processes and outcomes, learning from failure and successes and craft action intentions for improved future functioning (Ellis et al 2014;Schippers et al 2014).…”