Tool 8: Share Insights

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Posted by Justin Long ⋅ August 3, 2008 ⋅

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Tool No. 8: Sharing Insights
Accuracy, judgment, depth

In the parable of the blind men and the elephant, a group of blind men stand around an elephant, each declaring what the elephant is like based on what part of the elephant they are touching: like a wall (touching his side), or a tree trunk (the leg), or a hose (the trunk), or a fan (the ear). Each of them understands a little but no one has the whole picture. The problem with the parable is it assumes the blind men are also deaf. If the men are not deaf, they could share what an elephant is “like,” and learn together far more than they knew separately.

Insight requires us to develop an accuracy of discernment. We need to be able to quickly and correctly read character and motive. This kind of accuracy only develops over time, with experience.
Insight also requires us to develop judgment—not the kind that prejudices us against something or someone, but the kind that enables us to evaluate what we see. We need to be able to determine what is important in the long-term and what is not.

Finally, insight requires us to plunge into the depths—to see into a situation and search beyond the obvious and superficial to identify what is really true.

Sharing insights with a group can be difficult. Establishing standards for communication helps to reduce the cost of connecting. Standards also help people know how to store, index and search communications. For example, if the standard is e-mail, people might store the e-mails in a special electronic folder. If the standard is a face-to-face meeting or conference, the format might be recorded notes.

Limiting sharing to what is vital, important or valuable helps to reduce ‘infoglut.’ What is valued is based on the plausible promise. African weaver ants communicate just five messages through scent trails: 1) food, 2) potential new nest site, 3) enemy close by, 4) unexplored territory here, 5) enemy some distance away (on the horizon).

Sharing only with the right audience is also important. Some information should be shared with everyone (one-to-all). Other things only need to be passed to one specific individual (one-to-many). Some things should be passed to a few (one-to-some).

Finally, filters help you identify what is important to pass on, and what should be deleted. Since there is no centralized control, it’s up to each individual member—and particularly the ‘hub’ connecting people—to protect the swarm from ‘junk.’

If everyone agrees with you, it’s a waste of time.
Mark Cuban, owner, Dallas Mavericks

I hate it when my ideas are the best in the room.
That just means I didn’t make the room big enough.
Chris Anderson, Editor, Wired

Wherever you work, most of the smart people are somewhere else.
Bill Joy, former Chief Scientist, Sun Microsystems

A [group] that is too formal (too oriented toward communication) tends to be narrow and dry. It is like reading an encyclopedia — useful, but often stifling to creativity and innovation. A [group] that is to informal (too oriented toward conversation) tends to become chaotic.
Christopher Allen

Case Studies
• The TED Conference is an annual event for sharing insights and ideas. Videos of their presentations can be downloaded from www.ted.com….

Additional Readings
• Groupware communication & conversation, Christopher Allen, Applied Groupware, 1990, tinyurl.com… discusses the balance between communication (formal sharing of information) and conversation (informal exploration of possibilities) and the need to balance the two to maintain a thriving community.

Build it
• Create a method for members to review what is revealed by monitoring and share insights.
• Develop a standard way for people to share their insights, so what is shared can be recorded and stored.
• If possible, have a way of rating and commenting on insights.