This
approach can help you solve complex problems.
Imagine
a new way of solving complex problems. No deep thought in
front of the screen, no number crunching or data analysis.
Instead,
people who wouldn't ordinarily have the opportunity to convene come together to
generate groundbreaking ideas and solutions. Experts in history, anthropology, and cellular biology.
Screenplay writers and novelists. Physicians and astrophysicists.
This is
a tactic called "Mixed Tables" I have used successfully to address
vast, complex problems such as how to restore our nation's respect for veterans
after the Vietnam War and help US troops overseas detect roadside bombs. A
similar approach led to the government's counter terrorism approach post 9/11.
Businesses can utilize it to navigate our unpredictable society.
In
today's specialized world, we are encouraged to have a laser focus on our
individual area of expertise. But when every member of a team has homogenous experiences
and expertise, there is a high risk of falling into groupthink and overlooking
creative solutions. Mixed tables, convened over a series of dinners, can change
this.
But it
takes more than a good meal to spark the magic of mixed tables. Below are the
steps used to hold successful mixed tables outlined in my new book, The Renaissance Campaign.
Identify your
question, and hypothesize the outcome you want.
Yes,
your outcome may shift, but it's important to understand before heading in:
What are you trying to figure out? What is your ideal outcome? What is your
challenge, and what are the questions around it? These questions will help you
determine whom to invite.
Hold a panel with
these questions in mind.
Include
three types of individuals: creative thinkers, subject-matter experts, and
thought leaders. Ideally, the creative thinkers will be professionals because
they are likely to be comfortable with creative work on a tight timeline. The
subject-matter experts typically come out of your organization and have
in-depth knowledge of the issues. The thought leaders should include diverse
people from a variety of backgrounds who are insightful and have already
accomplished amazing feats. They're there to provide unexpected insight.
Hold your mixed table
over dinner for three consecutive evenings.
The
first night, guests meet one another and mingle. A mini-TED talk-style
presentation introduces the problem at hand. Then, participants break into
groups; each group answers a sub-question, then shares their outcomes. Everyone
should agree to discretion, and everyone present must participate.
The
second night provides a deeper dive. Revise questions from the previous night
and have subgroups delve into specific challenges. Alternatively, use this
night to deal with parallel applications. For instance, if the overarching
subject is ending hunger in a specific country, the second night might tackle
the outbreak of a deadly flu strain in the region. Distribute examples before
the meeting. Close the evening with sharing and debating.
On the
third night, the groups should reach an outcome and define a path forward that
can be translated into action through a campaign. Everyone should provide
feedback. What did they learn? What did they like or not like? Sometimes, after
a mixed table, we create a private website so participants can stay in touch
and continue the conversation, fostering an exchange of information.
Bringing
together diverse thinkers to solve problems is not new. In 15th-century Italy,
the famed Medici family consulted painters, architects, financial experts,
poets, and playwrights to create a vision for the city of Florence that many
historians credit for ushering in the Renaissance. Mixed tables can lead to
mini-Renaissance epiphanies today.
In the
mid-2000s, my team used mixed tables to work out the complex question of how to
detect roadside bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq. Around the same time, I convened
mixed tables on behalf of the Medical Research Command at the US Army to bring
together scientists who wouldn't otherwise meet to develop a moonshot plan to
cure Parkinson's disease. The results of that effort occur in labs today.
Sometimes
there are immediate solutions. Other times, sparks fly and wind up in separate
corners, but more often than not, leveraging the power of divergent thinking
will create transformational solutions.
PUBLISHED
ON: JAN 29, 2020
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