From the Editor's Computer
“Diversity and independence are important because the best collective decisions are the product of disagreement and contest, not consensus or compromise. An intelligent group...does not ask its members to modify their positions in order to let the group reach a decision everyone can be happy with. Instead, it figures out how to...aggregate and produce collective judgements that represent not what any one person in the group thinks but rather, in some sense, what they all think. Paradoxically, the best way for a group to be smart is for each person in it to think and act as independently as possible.”
(James Surowiecki, Wisdom of Crowds)
Those words are definitely something to think about and ponder for every group or organization you belong to. We are (relatively speaking) at the beginning of a new year and many groups and organizations are going to be having their Annual General Meetings in the months to come, if not already.
Do you run your group/organization on consensus - playing it safe, trying to find a “happy medium,” or do you allow your members to bring their varied strengths to the table and create something unique and more than anyone could have envisioned?
When a group works under consensus or compromise a vital aspect of the creative and collective magic of the group is lost.
However, if each individual is allowed to bring their individuality forward a beautiful mosaic of thought and action can be created, with results that astound everyone.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tn-1yL8vvM5zmdgcIX6OpQ-dgEMIao7q/view?usp=sharing
To contact The Chautauqua, email: thechautauqua@gmail.com.
