Jay shri krishna
LKrishna THINKING
Benefit from Shared Thinking
“None of us is as smart as all of us.”
Good thinkers, especially those who are also good leaders, understand the power of shared thinking. They know that when they value the thoughts and ideas of others, they receive the compounding results of shared thinking and accomplish more than they ever could on their own.
Those who participate in shared thinking understand the following:
Shared Thinking Is Faster than Solo Thinking
We live in a truly fast-paced world. To function at its current rate of speed, we can’t go it alone. I think the generation of young men and women just entering the workforce sense that very strongly. Perhaps that is why they value community so highly and are more likely to work for a company they like than one that pays them well. Working with others is like giving yourself a shortcut.
If you want to learn a new skill quickly, how do you do it? Do you go off by yourself and figure it out, or do you get someone to show you how? You can always learn more quickly from someone with experience—whether you’re trying to learn how to use a new software package, develop your golf swing, or cook a new dish.
Shared Thinking Is More Innovative than Solo Thinking
We tend to think of great thinkers and innovators as soloists, but the truth is that the greatest innovative thinking doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Innovation results from collaboration. Albert Einstein once remarked, “Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.”
Shared Thinking Brings More Maturity than Solo Thinking
As much as we would like to think that we know it all, each of us is probably painfully aware of our blind spots and areas of inexperience. When I first started out as a pastor, I had dreams and energy, but little experience. To try to overcome that, I attempted to get several high-profile pastors of growing churches to share their thinking with me. In the early 1970s, I wrote letters to the ten most successful pastors in the country, offering them what was a huge amount of money to me at the time ($100) to meet me for an hour, so that I could ask them questions. When one said yes, I’d visit him. I didn’t talk much, except to ask a few questions. I wasn’t there to impress anyone or satisfy my ego. I was there to learn. I listened to everything he said, took careful notes, and absorbed everything I could. Those experiences changed my life.
You’ve had experiences I haven’t, and I’ve had experiences you haven’t. Put us together and we bring a broader range of personal history—and therefore maturity—to the table. If you don’t have the experience you need, hook up with someone who does.
Shared Thinking Is Stronger than Solo Thinking
Philosopher-poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “To accept good advice is but to increase one’s own ability.” Two heads are better than one—when they are thinking in the same direction. It’s like harnessing two horses to pull a wagon.
They are stronger pulling together than either is individually. But did you know that when they pull together, they can move more weight than the sum of what they can move individually? A synergy comes from working together. That same kind of energy comes into play when people think together.
Shared Thinking Returns Greater Value than Solo Thinking Because shared thinking is stronger than solo thinking, it’s obvious that it yields a higher return. That happens because of the compounding action of shared thinking. But it also offers other benefits. The personal return you receive from shared thinking and experiences can be great. Clarence Francis sums up the
benefits in the following observation: “I sincerely believe that the word relationships is the key to the prospect of a decent world. It seems abundantly clear that every problem you will have—in your family, in your work, in our nation, or in this world—is essentially a matter of relationships, of interdependence.”
Shared Thinking Is the Only Way to Have Great Thinking
I believe that every great idea begins with three or four good ideas. And most good ideas come from shared thinking. Playwright Ben Jonson said, “He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.”
When I was in school, teachers put the emphasis on being right and on doing better than the other students, rarely on working together to come up with good answers. Yet all the answers improve when they make the best use of everyone’s thinking. If we each have one thought, and together we have two thoughts, then we always have the potential for a great thought
HOW TO ENCOURAGE THE PARTICIPATION OF SHARED THINKING
Some people naturally participate in shared thinking. Any time they see a problem, they think, Who do I know who can help with this? Leaders tend to be that way. So do extroverts. However, you don’t have to be either of those to benefit from shared thinking. Use the following steps to help you improve your ability to harness shared thinking
Value the Ideas of Others
First, believe that the ideas of other people have value. If you don’t, your hands will be tied. How do you know if you truly want input from others? Ask
yourself these questions: Am I emotionally secure? People who lack confidence and worry about their status, position, or power tend to reject the ideas of others, protect their turf and keep people at bay. It takes a secure person to consider others’ ideas. Years ago, an emotionally insecure person took a key position on my board of directors. After a couple of meetings, it became obvious to the other board members that this individual would not positively contribute
to the organization. I asked a seasoned leader on the board, “Why does this person always do and say things that hinder our progress?” I’ll never forget his reply: “Hurting people hurt people.” Do I place value on people? You won’t value the ideas of a person if you don’t value and respect the person himself or herself. Have you ever considered your conduct around people you value, versus those you don’t? Look at the differences:
If I Value People
I want to spend time with them
I listen to them
I want to help them
I am influenced by them
I respect them
If I Don’t Value People
I don’t want to be around them
I neglect to listen
I don’t offer them help
I ignore them
I am indifferent
Do I value the interactive process?A wonderful synergy often occurs asthe result of shared thinking. It can take you places you’ve never been.
Publisher Malcolm Forbes asserted, “Listening to advice oftenaccomplishes far more than heeding it.” I must say, I didn’t always value shared thinking. For many years, I tended to withdraw when I wanted to develop ideas. Only reluctantly did I work on ideas with others. When a colleague challenged me on this, I started to analyze my hesitancy. I realized that it went back to my college experience. Some days in the classroom I could tell that a teacher was unprepared to lecture and instead spent the class time asking us to give our uninformed opinions on a subject.
Most of the time, the opinions seemed no better than mine. I had come to class so that the professor could teach me. I realized that the process of sharing ideas wasn’t the problem; it was who was doing the talking. Shared thinking is only as good as the people doing the sharing. Since learning that lesson, I have embraced the interactive process, and now I believe it is one
of my strengths. Still, I always think about whom I bring around the table for a shared thinking session.
You must open yourself up to the idea of sharing ideas before you will engage in the process of shared thinking.
You must open yourself up to the idea of sharing ideas before you will engage in the process of shared thinking.
A person who values cooperation desires to complete the ideas of others, not compete with them. If someone asks you to share ideas, focus on helping the team, not getting ahead personally. And if you are the one who brings people together to share their thoughts, praise the idea more than the source of the idea. If the best idea always wins (rather than the person who offered it), then all will share their thoughts with greater enthusiasm.
Have an Agenda When You Meet I enjoy spending time with certain people, whether we discuss ideas or not: my wife, Margaret; my children; my grandchildren; my parents. Though we often do discuss ideas, it doesn’t bother me if we don’t; we are family. When I spend time with nearly anyone else in my life, however, I have an agenda. I know what I want to accomplish. The more I respect the wisdom of the person, the more I listen. For example, when I meet with someone I’m monition, I let the person ask the questions, but
I expect to do most of the talking. When I meet with someone who mentors me, I mostly keep my mouth shut. In other relationships, the give and take is more even. But no matter with whom I meet, I have a reason for getting together and I
have an expectation for what I’ll give to it and get from it. That’s true whether it’s for business or pleasure.
Get the Right People Around the Table To get anything of value out of shared thinking, you need to have people around who bring something to the table. As you prepare to ask people to participate in shared thinking, use the following criteria for the selection process.
Choose…
People whose greatest desire is the success of the ideas.
People who can add value to another’s thoughts.
People who can emotionally handle quick changes in the conversation.
People who appreciate the strengths of others in areas where they are weak.
People who understand their place of value at the table.
People who place what is best for the team before themselves.
People who can bring out the best thinking in the people around them.
People who possess maturity, experience, and success in the issue under
discussion.
People who will take ownership and responsibility for decisions.
People who will leave the table with a “we” attitude, not a “me” attitude.
Too often we choose our brainstorming partners based on feelings offriendship or circumstances or convenience. But that doesn’t help us to discover and create the ideas of the highest order. Who we invite to the table makes all the
difference.
Compensate Good Thinkers and Collaborators
Well Successful organizations practice shared thinking. If you lead an organization, department, or team, then you can’t afford to be without people who are good at shared thinking. As you recruit and hire, look for good thinkers who value
others, have experience with the collaborative process, and are emotionally secure. Then pay them well and challenge them to use their thinking skills and share their ideas often. Nothing adds value like a lot of good thinkers putting their minds together.
No matter what you’re trying to accomplish, you can do it better with shared thinking. That is why I spend much of my life teaching leadership.
Good leadership helps to put together the right people at the right time for the right purpose so that everybody wins. All it takes is the right people and a willingness to participate in shared thinking.
Thinking Question
Am I consistently including the heads of others to think “over my head” and achieve compounding results?
Jay shri krishna
LKrishna THINKING
Contact MAIL. lkrishna.htat@gmail.com
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