Take Advantage of Collaborative Thinking
Strong thinkers, particularly those who are also good leaders, recognize the importance of shared thought and how to harness it. They understand that when they respect the opinions and ideas of others, they reap the benefits of compounding thinking and achieve much more than they could have done on their own.
Those that engage in shared thinking are aware of the following concepts and principles:
1. Group thinking is more efficient than solo thinking.
We live in a world that moves at breakneck speed. We can’t operate at our present rate of speed if we don’t work together. I believe that the generation of young men and women who are just entering the workforce are acutely aware of this. Perhaps this explains why they place such a high value on community and are more inclined to work for a firm that they like rather than one that pays them well.
When you collaborate with others, it’s like giving yourself a leg up.
When it comes to learning a new skill rapidly, what is the most effective method? Do you go out on your own and figure it out, or do you hire someone to teach you how to do it properly? Whatever the task at hand (learning how to utilize a new software package, perfecting your golf swing, or how to prepare a new cuisine), it is always possible to learn more rapidly from someone with greater expertise.
2. Collaboration fosters more creativity and originality than solo thinking.
We prefer to think of great thinkers and innovators as individuals, but the fact is that the most original thinking does not take place in a vacuum; rather, it occurs in collaboration with others. Collaboration is necessary for innovation to occur.
When Albert Einstein famously said, “Many times a day, I realize how much my own outward and inner existence is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both alive and dead,” he was referring to how hard he had to work in order to “give back” as much as he had gotten.
If you look at the work of scientists Marie and Pierre Curie, surrealists Luis Brunel and Salvador Dali, or musicians John Lennon and Paul McCartney, you will see that shared thought leads to greater creation. It is possible to generate ideas that you have never thought of before if you blend your own thinking with the thoughts of others!
3. Shared thinking is more mature than solo thinking in terms of maturity.
Despite the fact that we would all want to believe that we are experts in everything, everyone of us is undoubtedly painfully aware of our blind spots and areas of lack of expertise. As a young pastor, I had big aspirations and plenty of enthusiasm, but I lacked practical experience and knowledge.
For this reason, I endeavored to get the input of numerous prominent pastors of expanding churches in order to try to overcome this obstacle. When I was in my early 20s, I sent letters to ten of the most prominent pastors in the nation, giving them what seemed like a large sum of money at the time ($100) in exchange for an hour of their time, so that I could ask them questions about their ministries.
I would pay him a visit if he said yes. I didn’t say much, other than to ask a few of questions. I wasn’t there to make a statement or to appease my inflated ego. I was there to get knowledge. I sat up straight and paid attention to everything he said, taking meticulous notes and soaking up as much information as I could.
Those encounters had a profound impact on my life.
There are things you’ve experienced that I haven’t, and there are things I’ve experienced that you don’t. We bring a larger breadth of personal history—and hence a greater level of maturity—to the table when we work together. If you don’t have the necessary expertise, find a way to collaborate with someone who does.
Take Advantage of Collaborative Thinking
4. Group Thinking Is More Powerful Than Individual Thinking
“To take excellent advise is just to strengthen one’s own capacity,” stated philosopher-poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. When both heads are thinking in the same direction, two heads are better than one. It’s like tying two horses together to pull a cart. They are more powerful when they work together than they are when they work alone.
Did you realize, however, that when they work together, they can move more weight than they could individually? Working together creates synergy. When individuals think together, they use the same sort of energy.
5. Collaborative thinking is more valuable than solo thinking.
Because collaborative thinking is more powerful than solo thinking, it should come as no surprise that it produces a better return. This is due to the compounding effect of shared thinking. It does, however, have some advantages. You may get a lot of personal benefit by sharing your thoughts and experiences.
“I genuinely feel that the term relationships is the key to the promise of a good world,” says Clarence Francis, summarizing the advantages. Every difficulty you’ll face—in your home, at work, in our country, or in the world—appears to be ultimately a question of connections, of dependency.”
6. The Only Way to Have Great Thinking Is Through Collaboration
Every great idea, in my opinion, starts with three or four decent ideas. And the majority of excellent ideas come from group brainstorming. “He who is taught exclusively by himself has a fool for a teacher,” wrote playwright Ben Jonson.
When I was in school, instructors emphasized being correct and performing better than the other pupils, rather than collaborating to find appropriate solutions. However, when the best use of everyone’s thoughts is made, all of the solutions improve. If one of us has one thinking and the two of us have two, we always have the potential for a fantastic concept.
HOW CAN SHARED THINKING PARTICIPATION BE ENCOURAGED?
Some individuals are naturally inclined to engage in group thinking. They think to themselves, “Who do I know who can assist with this?” whenever they perceive a problem. Leaders have a tendency to be like this. Extroverts are the same way. You don’t have to be either of these people, however, to benefit from common thinking. To strengthen your capacity to harness common thought, do the following steps:
1. Appreciate what others have to say.
First, think that other people’s thoughts are valuable. Your hands will be bound if you don’t. How can you know whether you actually desire other people’s opinions? Consider the following questions:
Is my emotional well-being assured? People who lack confidence and are concerned about their status, position, or power are more likely to reject others’ views, defend their territory, and keep others at a distance. It takes a confident individual to heed the opinions of others. Years ago, a person who was emotionally unstable was appointed to a significant position on my board of directors.
After a few meetings, the other board members realized that this person would not be a helpful addition to the group. “Why does this guy consistently do and say things that obstruct our progress?” I questioned a seasoned board member. “Hurting people hurts people,” he said, and I’ll never forget his response.
Do I consider people to be valuable? If you don’t regard and respect a person, you won’t value and respect his or her views. Have you ever thought about how you act around individuals you care about vs those you don’t? Consider the following differences:
Is the interactive process important to me?
The consequence of unified thought is often a lovely synergy.
It has the ability to transport you to places you’ve never visited before. “Listening to advise typically achieves much more than heeding it,” said Malcolm Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine. To be honest, I didn’t always favor collaborative thought. When I wanted to explore thoughts for a long time, I tended to retreat.
I only worked on ideas with others unwillingly. When a coworker pressed me on this, I began to consider my hesitation. It occurred to me that it was related to my college experience. Some days in class, I could tell a teacher wasn’t prepared to talk and instead spent the time asking us for our uneducated thoughts on a topic.
The majority of the time, the views seemed to be no better than mine. I’d arrived to class hoping to learn anything from the lecturer. I recognized that the issue wasn’t with the process of exchanging ideas; it was with the people who were doing the talking. The quality of shared thinking is only as good as the individuals doing it.
I’ve embraced the participatory process since learning that lesson, and I now consider it one of my strengths. Still, I consider who I’ll invite to the table for a brainstorming session. (Later in this chapter, I’ll explain my criteria for people I invite.)
Before you can participate in the process of shared thinking, you must first open yourself up to the concept of exchanging ideas.
2. Change your mindset from one of competition to one of cooperation.
“Always be on the lookout for ideas,” advises Jeffrey J. Fox, author of How to Become CEO. Be entirely agnostic about the source. Customers, children, rivals, other industries, or taxi drivers may all provide ideas. It makes no difference who came up with an idea.”
A person who appreciates collaboration wants to complement rather than compete with other people’s ideas. If someone asks you to express your thoughts, concentrate on assisting the team rather than gaining personal advantage. And if you’re the one who gets people together to discuss their ideas, praise the concept rather than the person who came up with it. If the greatest idea always wins (rather than the individual who proposed it), everyone will be more eager to submit their ideas.
3. When you meet, make sure you have a plan.
Whether we debate views or not, I like spending time with specific people: my wife, Margaret; my children; my grandkids; and my parents. Though we debate views often, it doesn’t bother me if we don’t; we are family after all.
I, on the other hand, have a plan when I spend time with almost everyone else in my life. I have a clear idea of what I want to achieve.
The more I appreciate a person’s knowledge, the more I listen. When I meet with someone I’m mentoring, for example, I let them ask the questions, but I expect to do the most of the talking. When I meet with a mentor, I try to keep my lips shut as much as possible.
The give and take in other partnerships is more balanced. But, regardless of who I meet, I have a motive for doing so, and I have expectations for what I’ll offer and get. Whether it’s for work or pleasure, this is true.
4. Assemble the Appropriate Personnel at the Table
You need individuals around you who offer something to the table to receive anything useful out of shared thought. Use the following selection criteria as you prepare to invite others to engage in shared thinking.
Choose…
People who have a strong desire for their ideas to succeed.
People who can bring value to other people’s ideas.
People who are emotionally capable of dealing with abrupt shifts in the discourse.
People who value others’ qualities in places where they are lacking.
People who are aware of their worth at the table.
People that prioritize the team’s needs before their own.
People who can bring out the finest thinking in the people around them.
People who are mature, experienced, and successful in the topic at hand.
People who will own and accept responsibility for their choices.
People who have a “we” mindset rather than a “me” attitude as they leave the table.
We pick our brainstorming partners much too frequently based on sentiments of friendship, situation, or convenience. However, this does not assist us in discovering and developing high-level concepts. It makes a huge difference who we invite to the table.
5. Appropriately compensate good thinkers and collaborators
Shared thinking is a key component of successful groups. If you’re in charge of an organization, department, or team, you can’t afford to be without individuals who can think in groups. Look for excellent thinkers who appreciate others, have expertise with the collaborative process, and are emotionally comfortable when you search and hire.
Then compensate them generously and push them to apply their critical thinking abilities and share their views often. Nothing adds value like a group of smart people working together.
Whatever you’re aiming to do, shared thinking can help you get there faster.
That is why I devote so much of my time to leadership development. Good leadership assists in bringing together the appropriate people at the right moment for the right cause, resulting in a win-win situation for everyone. It just requires the appropriate individuals and a desire to engage in collaborative thinking.
