The document discusses the benefits of open and creative conversations. It notes that conversations can create new ideas and insights rather than just reshuffling existing thoughts. When people converse, they can transform facts, develop new trains of thought, and emerge with slightly different perspectives. Research also shows that friendly conversations improve individual mental functions like working memory and focus. Groups demonstrate a collective intelligence beyond just the sum of their individual members when they collaborate effectively through conversing. The document advocates for applying principles like equal participation, independent thinking, and diversity of views to make conversations more innovative and knowledge-sharing.

1. The Art of Conversation:
All of us are smarter than any of us*
* Apologies to Chris Collison!
Keith De La Rue
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dragunsk/

2. Let’s have a chat…
Openness to change
Some recent research…
Individual effects
The power of groups
Innovation and sharing
Making it happen
… Have a conversation and have some fun!

3. Conversation
doesn't just reshuffle
the cards: it creates new cards
– Theodore Zeldin
From David Gurteen - http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/theodore-zeldin

4. In conversation we…
Transform facts
Reshape them
Draw new implications
Develop new trains of thought

5. We must be open…
“We risk
impoverishing
ourselves if we ignore
the personal”
- Gurteen
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timpatterson/

6. "...The kind of
conversation I'm
interested in is one
which you start with a
willingness to emerge a
slightly different
person...
It's an adventure in
which we agree to cook
the world together and
make it taste less bitter"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88691054@N00/

7. Conversation is intrinsically creative
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atomicjeep/

8. … If we are prepared to change.
The way we talk shapes what we do
If we talk differently, life can be more interesting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aturkus/

9. Talking to others improves individual
mental function
Friends with cognitive benefits
- Ybarra et al, 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoetnet/

10. Brief, friendly conversations
improve executive function -
working memory, focus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chipgriffin/

11. Put yourself in other shoes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoonabar/

12. Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in
the Performance of Human Groups
- Woolley et al, 2010

13. Ability to perform group tasks
Independent of individual intelligence
Whole greater than sum of parts
Based from how the team works together
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregloby/

14. Collective intelligence
Social sensitivity
No domination
Equal turns
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36238874@N02/

15. Women and conversation
More sensitivity
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmi_managers/

16. Leadership
challenge:
facilitation, t io ns
an isa
not control org ts
cal alis
c h i id u
rar div
hie in
for ged
asy rug
t e or
No -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/http2007/

17. Innovation – the Eureka moment?
Progress is more about
one door leading to
another door
- Steven Johnson, Where
Good Ideas Come From
Sharing and recombining
ideas
-> Conversation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karrienodalo/

18. The adjacent possible
The multiple
… Don’t isolate the genius in the laboratory!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gastev/

19. The Enlightenment – C17
http://socialmelb.com/

20. Wisdom of crowds – cognitive problems
The many are smarter than the few
Diverse membership
Members thinking independently
Knowledge pooled From: James Surowiecki
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24888116@N06/

21. Community
Get people together in conversation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/MrTopf/

22. Conversations for knowledge sharing
and innovation – the café concept
See: http://delarue.net/blog/2011/06/a-tale-of-two-cafes/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanridgway/

23. Conversational tools
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44709316@N03/

24. Microblogging
https://www.yammer.com/cpx/

25. Networking, awareness, chat
Any conversation helps!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/323447999676/

26. Conversations help us…
… find the missing pieces
http://ozcollab.com/

27. Facing complexity in organisations
Engaging people
http://www.flickr.com/photos/odreiuqzide/

28. Five rules for more
innovative conversations
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bytemarks/

29. Have we all been introduced?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lionheartphotography/

30. Is everyone open
and willing to
change?

31. Are we all
taking equal
turns?

32. Is the talk friendly and constructive?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanready/

33. Do we have sufficiently diverse viewpoints?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/untitlism/

34. Let’s talk about it…
@kdelarue
+61 418 51 7676
keith@delarue.net
http://acknowledgeconsulting.com/