Great minds think creatively
Our aversion to difference is an evolutionary protection that no longer serves us well. The rewards are immense if we can let it go
By Steve Ray
“Great minds think alike” says the well-known quote. But the full quote is actually more telling: “Great minds think alike but fools seldom differ”.
With the full version the congratulatory back-slapping that occurs when we share similar thoughts and ideas, (along with the subtext “aren’t we great, we think the same”) suddenly shifts. If fools seldom differ, then we would be foolish indeed not to go looking for difference once in a while!
The problem with actively seeking out difference is that we have an aversion to it. Our natural tendency – a survival adaptation – is to resist difference and look for patterns of similarity. In our evolutionary past, difference was often associated with a lack of safety: different climate, different food, different culture, different people.
Regardless of the difference, when we have come up against it historically, we have found ourselves outside our comfort zone of what we know and therefore what we can control. The less we can control, the greater the risk and the greater the likelihood of something going wrong. Or so the belief goes.
In the workplace, this means that when we try to encourage difference in teams, we tend to struggle. It’s like we can’t get through the huge discomfort that comes when we are asked to sit with an opinion different to our own. It’s too threatening to our need for control. Were we to persevere, the extraordinary creativity that is available when there is a diverse mix of ideas, and ways of seeing the world, would begin to show up.
Our safety bubble
Typically, when faced with differing ways of seeing the world, we often get defensive – not wanting to break out of our safety bubble. This can show up as judgement where we discount anything offered that’s not known or understood.
Often too, because there is fear associated with what we don’t know, we can also become emotional and reactive. Our connection with others then falls away and we can no longer work together constructively. Rather than fostering creativity, difference so often seems to generate conflict instead!
Self-awareness helps us shift
To get past this roadblock, first we have to be aware of this tendency in ourselves. Once we are awake to this programming within our unconscious, we can start to consciously choose to change the way we communicate. When we feel ourselves reacting and judging, we need to slow down, take a breath or two, and switch to a curious mind-set which – if nothing else will buy us some time as we start asking questions.
Questions will help us find out more about this different thing we’ve bumped into and will keep us engaged. At the same time we are signalling our willingness to invest our time in the other person to try and make the relationship work, something which is felt and appreciated by them. This is a really big moment as we shift to a place where the relationship with the other person is more important than anything we might want from them.
When we have cleared the unconscious roadblock, we can step into the creativity and play with the diversity of ideas, thoughts and ways of seeing and being in the world. Creativity comes when difference has turned from being something we are fearful of, to being something instead that is new and inspiring.
A feast of creativity awaits
We make tasty food when we use different ingredients. And when we embrace creativity, we can create a banquet of outcomes from the mix of ingredients that come from the diverse perspectives in the room. All we need to do is override the impulses in us that have been formed in our past.
The good news is that these ancient habits can change. But we need to want them to change and we have to admit that we are the ones blocking new and different ways of thinking.
Our two-day facilitation training course gives participants an introduction to the self-awareness and emotional resilience required to meet difference, with curiosity. This skill is a necessity for leaders and facilitators in our day and age. See upcoming dates and register here.
To dive deeper into your capacity to navigate difference within groups, our past course participants are also welcome to attend Facilitators’ Practice Circles. These online sessions are a chance to bring real-life facilitation and leadership challenges to the circle, where they are workshoped with peers. The sessions are led by one of our experienced facilitators. Alumni can register here.