You are managing a cross$-$functional team tasked with developing a new product launch strategy. During team discussions, you notice that most members quickly agree with the leader$$s proposal without critically evaluating alternative approaches. You suspect that the team might be falling into the groupthink trap.

Which statement best explains what groupthink is and why it can be detrimental to effective decision$-$making in this situation?

Groupthink is when team members deliberately challenge each other$$s ideas, leading to overly lengthy discussions and decision delays.

Groupthink is the pressure to conform to a dominant opinion within a team, which can suppress creativity and hinder critical analysis, potentially leading to suboptimal decisions.

Groupthink is a structured brainstorming method that encourages independent thinking before group discussion, resulting in a wide variety of innovative ideas.

Groupthink is the process of assigning decision$-$making responsibilities to one individual to ensure rapid conclusions, eliminating the need for team consensus.