“There is strength in numbers”. This expression captures the essence of collective intelligence, defined as the process by which a group of individuals pool their skills and knowledge to move towards a common goal. Stemming from social sciences, collective intelligence has become a key concept for businesses because it offers a new approach to a group’s thinking and dynamics. Why is collective intelligence in the workplace so important? And how can companies implement it? We answer all these questions and more in our new article!

A daily reality in the work world

Although the concept of collective intelligence appeared at the beginning of the 20thcentury, its use in the work world is much more recent. American researchers Chris Argyris and Peter Senge applied it for the first time to management in the 1990’s; in their view, collective intelligence is a type of intelligence that is specific to a group and that is greater than the sum of individual intelligences. In other words, collective intelligence considers the ability of a group to provide the best solution, and more importantly, whether or not individuals within a group can access ideas that they might not have had on their own.

The importance of collective intelligence at work

A catalyst for creativity, collaboration and performance, collective intelligence takes on its full meaning within a company, where a group of individuals, each with their own expertise, must work collectively towards a common objective: successfully complete a project, become more efficient… Leveraging collective intelligence can therefore allow a company to overcome a crisis situation, innovate and gain a competitive advantage, or even acquire new skills and knowledge.

Managerial implications

To boost their performances, companies must therefore implement management that fosters teams’ collective intelligence. In this type of management, hierarchical and inter-collaborative relationships are put aside to make room for conversation and brainstorming. In this way, employees are more committed to their tasks and the overall strategic dynamic of the group.

What steps can be taken to boost collective intelligence at work?

1. Clarify the objective

First, the group must agree upon a common vision. Having an established objective and being able to co-develop a collective approach is a crucial first step that will allow the group to take ownership of the issues at hand and generate enthusiasm for the project.

2. Develop interactions

The role of a manager is akin to that of a conductor: he/she encourages dialogue, rewards proactiveness, confronts ideas, maintains cohesion within the team and offers constructive criticism. He/she must also put in place the right mechanisms to ensure conversations and ideas can flow: workshops, conferences, digital tools….

3. Adopt a systemic approach

More specifically, cultivating collective intelligence means accepting complexity and adopting a global approach: this might imply focusing less on individual tasks, for example, and more on improving the quality of interactions so that everyone is, in effect, a team player.

Collective intelligence is first and foremost a state of mind. Supporting it will have a direct impact on a team, their ability to collaborate, and feelings of belonging and involvement. It is therefore very important that managers learn to foster it, not only to optimize the company’s overall performance, but also to influence talents’ ability to find meaning in their work.

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