Groupthink in FT

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https://www.ft.com/content/2c71da25-7b12-4e74-9c10-853ef524bef3

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Thomas Brenninkmeijer, a fifth-generation member of the ownership group and a Cofra director, says: “The important thing is that we attract around us a very large group of extraordinarily talented non-family members who have the exact same passion and view of the world and society”.

(Boudewijn) Beerkens (CEO of Cofra) appears to consider the involvement of outside capital and management, along with greater transparency, as lesser risks than developing an insular, defensive mentality. 

 Asked to list the greatest threats to Cofra flourishing, he cites a potential breakdown in the spirit of Unitas that binds the family and the danger it will become inward-looking. “Sometimes, if you are with a small group, you can get groupthink,” he says.

PS: May 2024 “When everybody thinks alike, nobody thinks. It’s ok to disagree, just don’t be disagreeable.” 

4 Generations of Snekerkring: "USING EACH OTHER'S TALENTS

Contemporaries describe Joseph as an introverted man who thinks incredibly clearly, but has hardly any communication talents. He also recognizes this, which gives the policy change of 1906 more cachet as a striking example of cooperation between colleagues who dare to make use of each other's differences in talents. It has been one of the pillars of the company's success since its founding."