I just finished this very fascinating book by James Surowiecki. His premise is that groups of people who are intellectually diverse and make decisions on a concept, problem, or idea independently (without consulting others) will more consistently come up with a better answer than any individual could provide.
An extremely simple that can be applied in a larger context is a jellybean counting contest. If we were to do a contest, it is much more likely that the groups average guess is going to be closer to the right answer than most or all of the individuals.
As I was reading this I couldn't help but wonder how this could apply to the local church setting or conference decisions. I hope to spend some time reflecting on this - possibly at annual conference next week.
Overall, the Wisdom of Crowds is a thought provoking read that I highly recommend!
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