Why Two (or more) Heads Are Better Than One
15/Mar/10 22:25 Filed in: Careers
Are two heads
really better than one? When it comes to making
changes in your life, achieving greater things,
reaching goals, the answer is almost always "yes." (I
won't paint myself into a corner and say it is 100%
of the time, after all the other person could be a
complete jerk who decides to undermine everything you
do -- but I'd wager that 95% of the time, it is
true.) What is it that makes us better when others
are involved?
I suspect that the real answer is somewhere between art and science. Science tells us that we humans are social creatures, and our ability to band together has contributed to our survival. Art might counter that there is a "collective wisdom" or "collective consciousness" into which we can tap. Scientists describe how our continual desire to create and change (combined, I suppose, with our opposable thumbs) has brought us collectively past the stone age and the bronze age, to the industrial age and the digital age. Artists may argue that the blending of voices in a choir far surpasses what a single voice can emote.
And science tells us that accountability is one of the most important keys to successful behavioral change. (Ask me about the studies and statistics on this - it's really quite fascinating - I'd love to share what I've learned, but it's a bit long and heavy on the numbers for a blog post.)
I know a lot about what accountability can help people accomplish, after all, it is a major part of what I do as a coach. Verbalizing what you want to accomplish, committing to specific actions, and asking to be held accountable to those steps is an amazingly powerful process. The discussions, perspectives, and ideas that get generated can be astounding. Every day in my one-on-one encounters I experience how 1+1= far more than 2.
I also love to observe what happens when people get into a small group, and the collective wisdom and group energy starts flowing. A topic takes on a life of its own, and in the best of circumstances, everyone in that group rises to the challenge and then exceeds the knowledge they believed they had! Each person has the potential for insights, ideas, and sharing knowledge that they may not have recognized in themselves prior to the conversation taking place. The only way to bring out that energy, that magical alchemy, is in a group with the right members present.
The knowledge shared is not linear (1+1+1...) but becomes exponential. And as for the accountability, well, imagine your commitment if you tell 10 people what you plan to accomplish, knowing they'll be around to encourage you, root for you, and cheer you past the finish line when you make it.
You don't want to let that crowd down... do you?
I suspect that the real answer is somewhere between art and science. Science tells us that we humans are social creatures, and our ability to band together has contributed to our survival. Art might counter that there is a "collective wisdom" or "collective consciousness" into which we can tap. Scientists describe how our continual desire to create and change (combined, I suppose, with our opposable thumbs) has brought us collectively past the stone age and the bronze age, to the industrial age and the digital age. Artists may argue that the blending of voices in a choir far surpasses what a single voice can emote.
And science tells us that accountability is one of the most important keys to successful behavioral change. (Ask me about the studies and statistics on this - it's really quite fascinating - I'd love to share what I've learned, but it's a bit long and heavy on the numbers for a blog post.)
I know a lot about what accountability can help people accomplish, after all, it is a major part of what I do as a coach. Verbalizing what you want to accomplish, committing to specific actions, and asking to be held accountable to those steps is an amazingly powerful process. The discussions, perspectives, and ideas that get generated can be astounding. Every day in my one-on-one encounters I experience how 1+1= far more than 2.
I also love to observe what happens when people get into a small group, and the collective wisdom and group energy starts flowing. A topic takes on a life of its own, and in the best of circumstances, everyone in that group rises to the challenge and then exceeds the knowledge they believed they had! Each person has the potential for insights, ideas, and sharing knowledge that they may not have recognized in themselves prior to the conversation taking place. The only way to bring out that energy, that magical alchemy, is in a group with the right members present.
The knowledge shared is not linear (1+1+1...) but becomes exponential. And as for the accountability, well, imagine your commitment if you tell 10 people what you plan to accomplish, knowing they'll be around to encourage you, root for you, and cheer you past the finish line when you make it.
You don't want to let that crowd down... do you?