Using Your Brain Power

Putting Your Brain Power into Practice

Have you ever heard of the phrase “group think”?  Well, the term “group-think” refers to the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

As many people in business know, this can be a terrible practice. It can stifle productivity, innovation and hinder motivation.  Yet, it is a typical and common place practice within business today.  And even though we know the negative ramifications of group think in an industry setting, sadly the use of group think may not be helping us to exercise our brains – and find that ‘ah ha’ moment of inspiration.

Have you ever known someone who can argue a point to death?  Even though this person can be exhausting at times, a new study from Columbia University says, using your debate skills is actually healthy. Having healthy debates (and I need to stress the word healthy here)…can actually stimulate our reasoning skills. It helps us to be more creative, socially flexible in group situations (i.e., open-minded and listen to all sides of the story) and it can foster a productive team – which may not always agree on every point, but can work together harmoniously knowing that even their opinion matters.

So, go ahead and have a debate today, encourage an environment where everyone can be heard. Of course, be careful of criticizing or attacking a person. Ideas are okay to question, it is not okay to personally attack someone because of those ideas.