Collaboration Versus Solitude Which One Drives Innovation

Collaboration Versus Solitude Which One Drives Innovation Photo by Keith Mulcahy via Flickr. Cain also highlights that while some interaction is good and fuels productivity, most office platforms that involve being corralled into endless meetings or conference calls conducted in offices that afford no respite from the noise and gaze of co-workers, is limiting, since studies show the employees with open-plan offices are more susceptible to sickness, have a higher incidence of stress, and are more hostile than their closed-office counterparts. We can even get a taste for the disdain of constant contact through a simple headline from an article in the  Guardian,  titled, Open-plan offices were devised by Satan in the deepest caverns of Hell. So what is going on in groups that is in some cases spurring innovation, yet oftentimes limiting it? The differences may lie in the way humans socialize; as social beings, most humans desire to be liked and accepted by their peers and certain groups (think cliques in high school). Keeping this in mind, it is only natural that in a group environment, individuals opinions are easily swayed and influenced by that of the group namely, the more charismatic leaders. This isnt to say that introverted individuals are pushovers, but that almost everyone in a group setting is (at least subconsciously) trying to fit in with the group and/or monitoring the reactions of others, which is a  huge  distraction factor. The reasons brainstorming fails are instructive for other forms of group work, too, Cain wrote. People in groups tend to sit back and let others do the work; they instinctively mimic others’ opinions and lose sight of their own and, often succumb to peer pressure. These distractions disappear when an individual is alone. Cain goes on to mention a study involving Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns, which found that when we voice an opinion that is different from the majority, we activate the amygdala, the organ in our brain associated with fear of rejection. Berns termed this phenomenon the pain of independence, and highlights how it can be difficult to open up with ideas in a group setting. Any time people come together in a meeting, we’re not necessarily getting the best ideas; we’re just getting the ideas of the best talkers, Cain said in an interview with Fast Company. While it is safe to say that solidarity versus collaboration and creativity depends highly on the individual personality, it is also worth noting that there may be different stages in the creative process that require both solitude and collaboration. If someone is really trying to nail down an idea and bring it into creation, solitude is by far the best option for getting the work done, and this is something companies that employ individuals doing this type of work should consider in order to generate higher quality work. On the other hand, one-on-one collaborations in a casual environment may lead to unexplored avenues of thought around an established idea. Collaborations are also great for executing ideas into the public and mainstream, as ideas often rely on a bit of extraversion to bring to light. It is interesting to note, however, that many successful leaders and innovators of history and today, such as Ghandi, JK Rowling and Eleanor Roosevelt, are introverts. Also, religious teachings around the world center around prophets such as Moses and Buddha venturing off alone in order to come back with revelations. Even Albert Einstein was a reported introvert, writing, The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind. It seems, in a society that values the Group and charismatic, extroverted leaders, that it is time to reevaluate the roots of innovation, and awaken again the respect that once existed for the quieter individual. Only then can we begin to strike a balance between group efforts and working alone. And maybe, after years of enacting the New Groupthink, we can again discover that it is only after we have left the herd that we can return with revelations.