On summer 2014, I went to a seminar in Harvard Boston Club: Harvard Global Systems. While I was in Boston I visited my former colleagues at MIT and I learned about MIT center in collective intelligence. I become fascinated with it. Their definition is simple "The MIT Center for Collective Intelligence brings together faculty from across MIT to conduct research on how people and computers can work together more intelligently and on the underlying scientific questions that help make this possible."
I began researching about it, I read the book made for Harvard professors called "Collective Genius" The art and practice of leading innovation. This is something I was thinking all along. The thing is it didn't occur me to called "collective intelligence" - I was calling it 1 + 1 = 3 or group synergy or something else. I have to admit collective intelligence is much better name and have a deeper meaning.
Something that caught my attention after hearing Malone talk (he is the founder of MIT center of collective intelligence) was to learn that Interpersonal skills are more important than you think (yikes!) watch his presentation: Malone. As an Introvert myself this is revealing, and we can learn, and I have learned through the years to improve my interpersonal skills, believe it is not easy. I was very happy to heard Susan talk about the Power of the Introverts- Now introverts have to develop more interpersonal skills- Susan you need to answer Malone!.
Please watch both videos and learn in what areas they agree or contradict each other.
In addition, Use the materials provided in class to discuss your role as a leader of an organization to support a collective intelligence to lead innovation, and the role of technology in all of this.
Our role as leaders is as Robson says "build the will for change, cultivating promising ideas for improvement and put those ideas into action through leadership and effective implementation", meaning that groups are stronger than many isolated workers because nobody knows everything, but everyone knows something and we have to create conditions for all members of the organization to give their best and help others get the best ideas (collective intelligence); we cherish our organization, because as is well known to the people are the most valuable resource and a team will always be more important than the sum of its parts. Obviously individual goals must be in harmony with the overall objective. Also we can not forget that we have to give some space for those able to work better with certain independence, the people known as introverts. If necessity is the mother of innovation and technology is creativity solving problems, we have to be the suppliers of opportunities for experts to learn, use and produce new technologies. The technology and innovation are totally necesary, for example we are using this blog, read thoughts and opinions of people who do not know would not be possible were if not for the internet, laptops, cellphones, connections, etc. Sorry for my english =D
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ReplyDeleteThe “Collective Intelligence” concept is actually new for me, and to be honest it is a breakthrough in the way I have seen leadership all my life. The figure of an extrovert, dominant, charismatic and powerful personality has always been the right choice in my mind, but the material provided shows that this concept is no longer efficient or, at least, productive.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of groups working on the same page but providing ideas and having an architect that creates the best stage possible while getting the best ideas of everyone, even the introvert ones, seems pretty obvious and even genius. This is the real innovation in knowledge, the one that contradicts stablished paradigms.
At the same time, this recently studied subject left really clear that this is the time of immersive, hard and fast-working techniques, for which the technology stands as the main option to get minds united. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign stablished its power and influence in internet-based activities; contacting people, getting activists involved and expanding willing.
But the technologies are not just for communicating one-on-one; they are made so everyone can contribute, give opinions and share knowledge as Wikipedia has shown in its wide and vast articles created by the world and made for the world. The concept of leadership has evolved and now demands that this characteristics must be integrated in not just a persons but in a society, a group, a school and a country.