The opening story of the USS Palau had me holding my breath... one of many stories that illustrates the importance of community and trust, and how those take conscious effort to cultivate, especially in situations where so many lives are on the line.
I am all for cultivating groupiness!
Individual cognition is simply not sufficient to meet the challenges of a world in which information is so abundant, expertise is so specialized, and issues are so complex. In this milieu, a single mind laboring on its own is at a distinct disadvantage in solving problems or generating new ideas. Something beyond solo thinking is required—the generation of a state that is entirely natural to us as a species, and yet one that has come to seem quite strange and exotic: the group mind.
Expertise is important, but as the author points out, becoming an expert is often an individualistic pursuit. I really enjoyed reading about the medical students taking part in a simulated hospital room to collaborate across their respective areas of expertise. This kind of training could be a game changer in the long-run for how we approach treatments for illness.
On another note, I've always wondered how expertise is determined. At what point is someone's interest, vast amounts of knowledge, or experience considered expertise?
Each of the organization’s employees is asked a series of simple questions, starting with “How are you feeling?” “That’s a very different question than the standard ‘How are you?’ we all ask each other every day,” notes Tony Schwartz, the company’s founder and CEO. “When people stop and reflect, and then say, one at a time, how each of them are really feeling, it opens up a deeper level of dialogue.”
Definitely going to try this approach the next time I'm on the phone for work... instead of "how are you doing?" to open up with, "how are you feeling this Monday afternoon?"
In addition to incorporating the now familiar factors of behavioral synchrony and physiological arousal, consuming food with others is in itself uniquely meaningful: our very survival depends on this elemental sharing of resources. “Eating together is a more intimate act than looking over an Excel spreadsheet together,” observes Kevin Kniffin, an assistant professor of management at Cornell University. “That intimacy spills back over into work.”
All the more reason to do one of my favorite things (eating) with the people around me!
I really enjoyed this! So many insights but I also like the idea of shared ritual and shared meals. We do a weekly lunch with our team at work, it's good but not as good as pre-covid when would would grill out once a week here at the office. I think it is time to bring back the grill.
The opening story of the USS Palau had me holding my breath... one of many stories that illustrates the importance of community and trust, and how those take conscious effort to cultivate, especially in situations where so many lives are on the line.
I am all for cultivating groupiness!
Expertise is important, but as the author points out, becoming an expert is often an individualistic pursuit. I really enjoyed reading about the medical students taking part in a simulated hospital room to collaborate across their respective areas of expertise. This kind of training could be a game changer in the long-run for how we approach treatments for illness.
On another note, I've always wondered how expertise is determined. At what point is someone's interest, vast amounts of knowledge, or experience considered expertise?
Definitely going to try this approach the next time I'm on the phone for work... instead of "how are you doing?" to open up with, "how are you feeling this Monday afternoon?"
All the more reason to do one of my favorite things (eating) with the people around me!
I really enjoyed this! So many insights but I also like the idea of shared ritual and shared meals. We do a weekly lunch with our team at work, it's good but not as good as pre-covid when would would grill out once a week here at the office. I think it is time to bring back the grill.