It is difficult to talk about intelligence without mentioning the collective. And for good reason, Professor Émile Servan-Schreiber stresses that intelligence is inherently collective: “We know now that no form of intelligence functions in isolation,” says the expert. “Whether it’s your brain, which is formed of 80 billion neurons working together to produce something intelligent, or Chat GPT compiling vast knowledge and presenting it in a way that can be used by everyone.” However, since collectives tend to conform quickly, often for peer acceptance, they need to be as diverse as possible—whether in age, profession, or gender. But what value does diversity bring to collective intelligence?
Diversity means greater intelligence and better performance
The figures are clear. A scientific study by MIT and Carnegie Mellon University on “group IQ” in 2010 found that the “most intelligent” groups are those with a higher proportion of women. The researchers behind the study established some very specific factors: groups with more women have better speaking-time distribution as well as better listening quality. “This last element is more than crucial, because what good is equal speaking time if nobody is listening?” says Émile Servan-Schreiber. This social sensitivity goes even further, because statistically and probably by social construction, women are better at discerning non-verbal signals to deduce emotions experienced by other people.
Brain size isn’t everything. What matters most is how you communicate
“The most intelligent groups are those in which there is the best bandwidth between available brains.” In other words, collective intelligence depends less on the intelligence quotient and more on the emotional quotient of each person in the group. It’s about letting other people speak and listening to what they say. “Groups in which women are in the majority objectively have a greater mastery of these two aspects of communication, which are essential to collective intelligence.” says the expert. This finding is particularly evident in the rankings of listed companies. “The regularly tracks the best performances of CAC 40 companies, and each time they turn out to be the most gender-balanced,” adds Émile Servan-Schreiber. And for good reason, this optimized communication results in better company performance, and greater innovation.
Diversity benefits creativity and innovation
“The more varied the profiles, the more innovative the ideas,” continues Émile Servan-Schreiber. Cognitive diversity brings multiple approaches to the table; contrasting opinions generate disagreement and encourage deep thinking. “As the discussions progress, gray areas and biases cancel each other out, while the parts of truth expressed by each person complement each other like a puzzle,” explains Émile Servan-Schreiber. Diversity brings an assortment of perspectives that helps address all possible issues and risks. It also deepens thinking by introducing ideas that complement, challenge, or reshape the discussion, leading to more well-rounded decisions. Alexandre Gallard, who runs collective intelligence workshops, agrees: “If we have a table of people with the same profiles, we go around in circles and don’t ask the right questions, because the participants will probably have the same approach and reach an agreement too quickly. We need to think differently if we are to forge new paths and innovate together.In short, the more difficult the problem is to solve, the more diverse the people working on it should be. And the solution will be more innovative because it has been driven by the fusion of divergent ideas.
However, it is not natural to share different opinions, let alone agree on them. “Humans are social animals who want to integrate a group, feel that they belong. To achieve that, the easiest thing is to simply agree with your neighbor,” says Fanny Boulesteix, coach and co-founder of the Tafoga women’s leadership program. “But not agreeing is how we challenge our collective intelligence.” And for Émile Servan-Schreiber, because this methodology is “artificial intelligence” it must be organized to be effective.
Diversity: a collective intelligence that must be organized
Although a wide range of approaches is an essential ingredient for producing intelligence, it is not enough. Collective intelligence can exists only if the conditions that give rise to it are respected. And that means following certain rules: “those which encourage people to express their diversity in the most independent way possible,” explains Émile Servan-Schreiber, “to ensure that we take everything that has been said and consider everything that has been put on the table to make a collective result.” But that’s not all. While rules help to nurture independence of mind and the ability to establish objective arbitration, they must also be inclusive. “Because if people are not allowed the freedom to share their diverse views, or if nobody listens to them, then talking about diversity of opinion is meaningless,” notes Fanny Boulesteix. So, to apply all of these rules as effectively as possible while bringing diversity to life in an inclusive manner, collective intelligence also needs to benefit from a framework of psychological safety, if possible guaranteed by a third party; facilitator, coach, etc.
The role of a third party in enforcing the rules of the game
“When companies contact me, they want to get their employees thinking. They want to find the best possible solutions for the issues that concern them directly,” explains Alexandre Gallard, collective intelligence facilitator at Utopies. “My job is to create the framework for people to achieve that.” A lot of preparation time is spent designing the thinking mechanisms, tools and exercises that will allow participants to intelligently produce the deliverables that we are seeking to obtain. But his role is also useful during the event, to stamp out demeaning behavior. “I make sure that the speaking time is evenly distributed and that everyone listens to each other, in particular to limit any risks of exclusion or intimidation,” says the collective intelligence workshop facilitator.
For her part, Fanny Boulesteix uses assertiveness coaching as a development tool. “If a woman has a completely different point of view, but finds herself in the minority, she may tend not to dare to share it; she may simply self-censor.”
Elise Assibat, for the EVE web magazine
