Bright Ideas: The Creative Power of Groups

Overview: The article starts with the example of the camels. A committee designs the animal. Taking a closer look at the features that allow this oddly shaped creature to survive in harsh desert conditions, one can draw a much kinder conclusion about the power of groups to develop and execute truly creative solutions. The typical pitfalls encountered in-group decision-making is all too familiar. Questioning long-held beliefs and traditional ways of doing things is a painful but necessary step if group creativity is to be ignited. Many of the major inventions of the twentieth century — including the transistor — emanated from groups of people with complementary skills. The need to put together a diverse group immediately challenges the assumptions of many managers, who tend to subconsciously select people like themselves in training and attitude. This "chorus of monotones" will get the group nowhere, it is warned. Instead, managers have to select as heterogeneous a group as possible, representing different experiences, thinking styles, cultures, and attitudes. The article affirms that theatrics can come into play to stimulate creative group dynamics. No matter what form the incubation period takes, the group eventually has to come to some sort of consensus within the constraints of its and the company's mission and values.

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Format: HTML | Size: 36KB | Date: Oct 1999 | Pages: 1