Bias
Group Genius is an expression that has been used by academics and practitioners to explain the nature of the phenomenon of innovation. It opposes the myth of the Lone Genius, the superhuman individual who has an innate ability to see what others cannot.
In reality, the individuals whom literature describes as “Genius” are part of a very intense social process. They are skilled “social architects” who rely on discipline and intense social interactions to explore and make sense of a new edge.
For us, Group Genius is not a metaphor: it is a real and powerful phenomenon that unfolds when a group is able to create something new and meaningful through collaboration.
While the expression Group Genius is associated with Keith Sawyer’s book (Group Genius, cf. Shoulders), it has been brought to life all around the world by the work of Matt and Gail Taylor ( www.mgtaylor.com, cf. Shoulders).
We define Group Genius as that rare phenomenon which groups of people experience when they get in a state of flow and engage with one another to create something new and meaningful.
The core of our practice is the facilitation of Group Genius which comes to life through collaboration, individual and collective learning, and the necessary conflicts that help redefine “what we can create together.” Our aim is not limited to the development of a new concept; we want to ensure that the group moves to a “point of no return,” creating a fundamental Shift that allows for non-linear leaps. Our approach is inherently different from the traditional consulting process, which is based on logic, analysis, and data-centered solution design. Rather, through action, experimentation, learning, and reflection – through several leaping iterations of co-design, testing, and prototyping – we create the possibility for Group Genius to manifest itself, for new solutions to emerge, and for new possibilities to come to life.
Our Bias – our interpretation of reality – is evolving, and it is visible in the environments we create, the social spaces we construct, and the creative processes we design in our Lab.