Introduction

People attach great importance to their social connections. Indeed, we dedicate much of our mental energy to this singular pursuit. Yet, this social goal will not always dovetail with the organisational objective of securing the best possible decision. Hidden motives will influence everything that is said, and not said, in group discussions. The social objective can mean teams underperform against a benchmark of optimal decision-making. We cannot switch off the social motive, it is an integral part of what makes us human and is the source of ot...