How to succeed in discussing collectively/team to create profits as well as solutions and innovations for something.
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Expansive Thinking is an exploratory process focused on facilitating collective or team intelligence. It is unique in that each idea shared in the group is connected to the idea shared, with ideas being “stacked” on top of one another to build something new and meaningful.
When applied carefully, simple, expansive thinking in the concept remains a powerful tool for transformation. Polarity-driven thinking will keep us stuck. Expansive thinking or broader thinking will create and encourage creative thinking.
There are three ways to start expansive thinking:
1. Always open your mind to think broadly and don't get stuck with polarization.
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2. Constructive listening asks you to see new opportunities in what others are saying and to consider what information you can add to other people's ideas. This requires suspension, and judgment, which is often the hardest part for team members.
Expansive thinking requires careful facilitation to ensure that “listening to build” occurs. Most of us have been trained to “listen to respond” and too often “listen to find problems with” too often. Some team or group members may have the ability to “listen to understand”. However, rest assured that there are also team or group members who have the ability to "Listen to build".
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3. Transition from Expansive Thinking
Expansive Thinking Time is like a Goldilocks story: We don't want to spend too little time developing, but we also don't want to spend too much time without seeing tangible results. Make sure your team really explores beyond the “easy” initial idea to come up with.
Expansive thinking will encourage more creativity, and create new innovations that will answer or produce solutions in team or group discussions. Expansive Thinking creates space to bring out the best ideas and insights from the team. New capabilities harness the collective intelligence of teams and can lead to new success, engagement, satisfaction, innovation, and, ultimately, profitability.
Adapted from: Entrepreneur & Forbes
