The Art of Conversation: All of us are smarter than any of us*

The Art of Conversation: All of us are smarter than any of us*

Keith De La RueKeith De La Ruehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dragunsk/

* Apologies to Chris Collison!

Let’s have a chat…

Openness to changeSome recent research…Individual effectsThe power of groupsInnovation and sharingMaking it happen… Have a conversation and have some fun!

Conversationdoesn't just reshuffle the cards: it creates new cards – Theodore Zeldin

From David Gurteen - http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/theodore-zeldin

In conversation we…In conversation we…

Transform factsReshape themDraw new implicationsDevelop new trains of thought

We must be open…We must be open…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timpatterson/

“We risk impoverishing

ourselves if we ignore the personal”

- Gurteen

“We risk impoverishing

ourselves if we ignore the personal”

- Gurteen

"...The kind of conversation I'm

interested in is one which you start with a

willingness to emerge a slightly different

person...

It's an adventure in which we agree to cook the world together and

make it taste less bitter"

"...The kind of conversation I'm

interested in is one which you start with a

willingness to emerge a slightly different

person...

It's an adventure in which we agree to cook the world together and

make it taste less bitter"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88691054@N00/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atomicjeep/

Conversation is intrinsically creativeConversation is intrinsically creative

… If we are prepared to change.

The way we talk shapes what we do

If we talk differently, life can be more interesting

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aturkus/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoetnet/

Friends with cognitive benefits - Ybarra et al, 2010

Friends with cognitive benefits - Ybarra et al, 2010

Talking to others improves individual mental function

Talking to others improves individual mental function

Brief, friendly conversations

improve executive function -

working memory, focus

Brief, friendly conversations

improve executive function -

working memory, focus

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chipgriffin/

Put yourself in other shoesPut yourself in other shoes http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoonabar/

Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups - Woolley et al, 2010

Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups - Woolley et al, 2010

Ability to perform group tasks

Independent of individual intelligence

Whole greater than sum of parts

Based from how the team works together

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregloby/

Collective intelligence

Social sensitivitySocial sensitivity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36238874@N02/

Equal turnsEqual turnsNo dominationNo domination

Women and conversationWomen and conversation

More sensitivityMore sensitivityhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cmi_managers/

Leadership challenge:facilitation,not control

Not easy for hierarchical organisations

- or rugged individualists

http://www.flickr.com/photos/http2007/

Innovation – the Eureka moment?Progress is more about one door leading to another door - Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From

Sharing and recombining ideas-> Conversation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karrienodalo/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gastev/

… Don’t isolate the genius in the laboratory!

… Don’t isolate the genius in the laboratory!

The adjacent possible

The multiple

The adjacent possible

The multiple

The Enlightenment – C17The Enlightenment – C17

http://socialmelb.com/

Wisdom of crowds – cognitive problemsWisdom of crowds – cognitive problems

Diverse membership

Members thinking independently

Knowledge pooled

Diverse membership

Members thinking independently

Knowledge pooledhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/24888116@N06/

From: James Surowiecki

The many are smarter than the few The many are smarter than the few

Get people together in conversationGet people together in conversation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/MrTopf/

CommunityCommunity

Conversations for knowledge sharingand innovation – the café concept

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanridgway/

See: http://delarue.net/blog/2011/06/a-tale-of-two-cafes/

Conversational toolsConversational tools

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44709316@N03/

Microblogging

https://www.yammer.com/cpx/

Networking, awareness, chat

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/323447999676/

Any conversation helps!

Any conversation helps!

http://ozcollab.com/

Conversations help us…

… find the missing pieces

Facing complexity in organisationsEngaging people

Facing complexity in organisationsEngaging people

http://www.flickr.com/photos/odreiuqzide/

Five rules for more innovative

conversations

Five rules for more innovative

conversationshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bytemarks/

Have we all been introduced?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lionheartphotography/

Is everyone openand willing to

change?

Are we all taking equal

turns?

Are we all taking equal

turns?

Is the talk friendly and constructive?Is the talk friendly and constructive?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanready/

Do we have sufficiently diverse viewpoints?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/untitlism/

Let’s talk about it…Let’s talk about it…

@kdelarue +61 418 51 7676

keith@delarue.nethttp://acknowledgeconsulting.com/

@kdelarue +61 418 51 7676

keith@delarue.nethttp://acknowledgeconsulting.com/