Illusion vs. Intelligence—and How to Include the Collective

Inclusion is a big focus for businesses in 2022—as it should be.?

A few weeks ago, I read this fascinating interview with author and Populace cofounder Todd Rose, and it got me thinking about workplace inclusion—and perhaps more importantly, exclusion.

Rose talks about the concept of “collective illusion,” a situation where most people in a group go along with an idea they disagree with because they incorrectly believe that most people in the group agree with it.

Sound familiar? Here’s how it can look at work:

You’ve got a sure-fire talent strategy that you and your management teams have agreed on. Presenting it in a meeting with employees, you see heads nodding, and there’s little to no feedback. Everyone agrees, right?

But do they really agree, or are they going along with the group because they believe everyone else agrees? It feels like inclusion because everyone is in the room—but if you’re not providing a safe space for them to speak up, it’s just a performance.?

The result of performative inclusion is a strategy that’s cascaded down through a group who’s secretly critical of it, and no one’s willing to publicly have that conversation—especially with you.

As leaders, we’re focused on inclusion in the workplace because we know that discrimination exists, and it silences some people’s ideas and prioritizes others. Silencing people only hurts an organization’s retention and performance because you’re not getting all perspectives and engaging all employees.?

In my last edition, I shared our Gen Z at Work study. I noted that according to our findings, women and people of color often feel hesitant to share ideas or feedback due to fear of discrimination and reprisal. Collective illusion only magnifies their hesitancy.

I tried to find a study that showed that not including all your employees’ perspectives on strategy and decision-making is good. I couldn’t.

So how do leaders counter collective illusion?

In Rose’s words, “create the enabling conditions that allow people to reveal who they are to each other.”

In ThoughtExchange’s words, “collective intelligence.”

Collective intelligence is the outcome of enabling conditions for honest conversation. It’s uncovering the best ideas, getting feedback that’s critical to your business outcomes, and practicing actual inclusion.

If you provide a space for collaborative, respectful discussion that’s anonymous and anti-biased, you’ll get people’s real thoughts. They can honestly share their ideas and concerns without the fear of thinking differently, and they can reflect on other people’s thoughts.?

In our experience, this kind of group conversation helps people learn to appreciate each other’s differences and see the merit in ideas they may not have considered. It gives leaders an accurate picture of where their employees agree and disagree, and it helps them make decisions that their people stand behind.?

And above all, it demonstrates the true inclusion of all perspectives in your business.

Collective intelligence—and dispelling collective illusion—is at the heart of ThoughtExchange. We aim to make it easier for leaders to include more perspectives in their strategy and decision-making. I’m passionate about these ideas, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.

Have you ever seen collective illusion at play in your organization? How do you counter it and get at your employees’ real thoughts? How do you ensure you’re actually including your people in the business they’re committed to?

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