The Power of Collective Knowledge in Business

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Whenever I work with groups of people, I start the session with an acknowledgement of the wisdom in the room. Clients have taught me, and continue to teach me, the instrinsic value each person brings to a situation through their ideas and experiences.

Advice I have received says that this kind of language – the wisdom in the room – is “too fluffy, too mystical and not appropriate for business people.” Or, I am told that I diminish my authority as the expert leading the workshop, presentation or event by giving stature to others. What do you think?

I am, and will always be, interested in the experiences and ideas of others. To me, every single participant brings a unique perspective.

This one action on my part is meant to open the group up to the possibilities. Maybe the person in front of me has experienced a situation that is relevant to the topic. My invitation to engage with the group gives that person permission to share their knowledge. Maybe someone in the back of the room, an introvert who normally stays silent during these meetings, thought of a new way to solve a problem being discussed. Now they are empowered to share that solution.

The feedback surveys I conduct show that participants – at least those who respond to the surveys – are grateful for the openness. I am telling them, “Hey, I do not know your level or authority or your popularity at work, and I believe you bring thoughts and ideas that will support the group. You are valuable.”

In surveys, participants say things like, “When she opened it up to the wisdom in the room, I knew this workshop would be different.”

What do I mean by wisdom? Am I saying everyone is wise, even an intern who may have been invited to sit in on the training? A definition (from AI) states wisdom is, “the ability to make sound, well-reasoned judgments and decisions by applying accumulated knowledge, insight and life experience.”

Having wisdom is not specifically linked to age. It is also not linked to facts and data. It is more about the “how to” exist in real life. It includes intelligence of different kinds. Street savvy. Book smart. Business know-how. People smart. There are so many different kinds of brains.

So, yes! It may be the intern whose experience proves to be relevant to a discussion. It could also be the well-seasoned chief of something in the organization whose years of business anecdotes inspire others in the room to think in a new way, a real life way rather than textbook way.

What is the big deal? Why am I using space in my blog to talk about this? There are many reasons:

1. Mindfulness in business starts with awareness. When you are in a meeting, how aware are you of the others in the room? The practice of acknowledging the wisdom brought by other participants, creates an awareness of their existence first, and then their possible contributions. Once you acknowledge them, do you listen? Often participants in a program are so caught up in what they want to say next, they forget to listen to what others have to say.
2. Mindfulness in business is about inclusion. Every leader has the chance every day to foster an atmosphere of belonging. Belonging begins with having a voice. By inviting the group to share, the leader is saying, “I value you. I want to hear from you.” Why is this important? Because employees who do not feel they are valued are more likely to leave an organization. Or, they might stay and only bring 50% of their capabilities to the job.
3. Innovation thrives when there is trust. How do you build trust? By asking questions, listening, being transparent, and doing what you said you would do. An invitation to add to the conversation only creates trust if the leader then actually listens to the answer. Not every idea is the best solution to the problem, but allowing for respectful dialogue opens the door. When trust does not exist on a team, members are unlikely to share their real reactions. They save those for the meeting after the meeting, around the water cooler which is now often virtual. How many new ideas are your missing out on because trust does not exist on your team?
4. Sharing is fun. What is more boring than a presentation in which one voice is heard – droning on? Not much, although it does give participants the opportunity to check their email. More voices equal more perspectives which create more interesting conversations. The group learns about each other and from each other.
5. It creates an opportunity for team members to bond. Enough said.
6. What if some of the group are introverts? You need a good facilitator in group interactions to manage the extraverts. Extraverts will tend to dominate every conversation. The leader needs to be aware of this and manage the time individuals take the floor. Give the introverts and thinkers a leg up by sharing information with the team prior to the meeting. This gives them the time to think about it and develop a response.

Now invite participants to collaborate, contribute and converse during your next meeting. And if this seems like a tall order, start with your own self-awareness. One way to do that is to join the Journal in August class which begins August 4. Learn more about it here and use this form to register. It will give you the opportunity to dive into your self-awareness, and you will experience the wisdom of the group first hand.