Working Together, Alone

Let me show you a simple method from the '70s that might just be a simple answer to help solving our collaboration challenges in a circular economy

Ever been in a meeting and felt…
👉 Overwhelmed by the loudest voices drowning out quieter, yet valuable inputs?
👉 Frustrated, waiting for your turn to chime in with your idea?
👉 Concerned about fresh team members holding back their unique perspectives?
👉 Rushed and annoyed because you couldn't focus on creating ideas while everyone was talking?

Well, you’re not alone. These are common problems when people work together. Still, as I discussed in my previous post about the collaboration conundrum in the circular economy, effective teamwork is key to tackling the complex sustainability challenges we face today.
So here I am following up with one of the useful ways to tackle meetings differently.

Back in 1975, Delbecq and colleagues introduced the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) which has been adopted and adapted, most recently by Jake Knapp in the Design Sprint where he captures its essence really well with the notion of “working Together, Alone”.

Here's how it works:
🔍 Set the Scope: Clearly define your objective.

🤫 Silent Ideation: Everyone writes down their ideas individually and in silence (You see, we do this together, but alone)

⏲️ Set a timer: this part of the exercise is time-boxed to have a clear timeframe clear focus time

📝 Share ideas: Depending on the topic you can choose to stick up your ideas on the wall anonymously or you can have everyone share their ideas in a round-robin manner.

👍 Vote to Prioritize: Use voting dots for each member to vote on the ideas they find most valuable.

In the beginning it can feel a bit strange and uncomfortably silent, so my tip is to have some light background music. But once you allow for this process to happen you will be rewarded with:

● Equal contribution from all, whether introvert or extrovert.
● Give people a short time to sort their thoughts before contributing
● Reduction of 'groupthink' and the domination of the loudest voice.
● Enhanced focus and a faster way to collate and visualise thoughts.

So, next time you're in a meeting where the described issues surface, try working "Together, Alone." The results might surprise you.

What other methods do you find effective in these situations?

#team #collaboration #circulareconomy #collaborationconundrum #decisionmaking #groupdynamics