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/

Using communication

• Improve group performance• Increase innovation• Make us individually smarter

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

Getting there

• Introductions• Openness to change• The power of groups• Innovation and sharing• Making it happen• … Have a conversation and have some fun!

Table 7

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/

Activity 1 – Introductions

• Introduce yourself by giving:– Your name– Where you were born– One interesting true statement about yourself– One false statement about yourself– (Not necessarily in that order!)

• The rest of the group will decide which is which

The Johari Window

© Alan Chapman 2003 http://www.businessballs.com/johariwindowmodeldiagram.pdf

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

"...The kind of conversation I'm

interested in is one which you start with a

willingness to emerge a slightly different person.

It is always an experiment, whose

results are never guaranteed. It involves

risk. 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 is always an experiment, whose

results are never guaranteed. It involves

risk. 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/

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

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/

Activity 2 – Changes

• Form into groups of two• Spread around the room• Wait for further instructions…

Change

• How much do we think we can change?• How much can we actually change?• How ready are we to change?

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

The Courage Beer Conversations Survey

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/

Activity 3 – Discussion

• When have meetings failed?• When have they worked well?• Would they have worked better if these patterns

were followed?

Positive language

Words > Pictures > Emotions > ActionsAnyone have children around?“Don’t spill the milk!”“Don’t take out all the pencils!”“Don’t forget…”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8431398@N04/

Where Good Ideas Come From

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

We Think

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/

Exercise 4 – Knowledge Café

• Break into tables of four – choose the people who are the most different to you

• Discuss:How can we use what we have learnt about How can we use what we have learnt about conversation to better communicate in the conversation to better communicate in the

international workplace?international workplace?• Discuss for 10 minutes, then move to another

table• Wrap up with open discussion

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

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

Is everyone openand willing to

change?

Are we all taking equal

turns?

Are we all taking equal

turns?

Do we have sufficiently diverse viewpoints?

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

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

@kdelarue 0418 51 7676

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

@kdelarue 0418 51 7676

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