How to use collective intelligence in professional training in a way that is not anecdotal but enriches the subject in depth?
Bringing a moment of collective intelligence into the training
This activity is very well-suited for professional training. At a certain point in the training, participants are invited to choose a book from a library brought specifically for the occasion. The topics covered by these books align with the themes of the training.
For example, let’s take the adaptation of a city’s cultural projects to young audiences. To address this topic, many aspects need to be explored, whether psychological or sociological, understanding the specificities of youth (if they exist), or even works on digital technology, screens, social networks, education, ordinary educational violence, violent communication, etc. Indeed, to tackle a subject in depth, it is necessary to approach it from multiple angles.
Choosing a book
Each participant selects a book. This exercise is particularly suited for intellectual professions. Participants have about 20 minutes to familiarize themselves with the book and are tasked with summarizing its essence for their colleagues.
Of course, careful attention must be paid to the selection of books. The range should be broad enough, without limiting it to works strictly focused on the subject. Working on a theme also means allowing for detours. It’s not about bringing irrelevant books, but we may be surprised by certain choices and discover, thanks to the participants, important facets of the topic that may not have been included in the initial program.
The mere act of choosing books is already a form of collective intelligence, as it highlights certain aspects of the subject over others, specific to this group and the energy of the moment.
At first glance, it may seem challenging to grasp the ideas of a book in 15 to 20 minutes and synthesize them for others. There isn’t enough time to read everything, and it might feel superficial. However, even without reading the entire book, skimming the introduction, conclusion, table of contents, and browsing through the arguments and examples allows one to understand what the book is about and its approach. Of course, to go deeper, one would need to read it entirely. But what matters most in this exercise is the participant’s personal reflection based on the book’s ideas.
Presentation and discussion
Next, participants have about 15 minutes to prepare a presentation in which they explain what they took away from the book and, most importantly, how this discovery enriches the shared topic of the training. Ideally, this presentation is recorded with a microphone to preserve it, and the recordings are shared online to remain accessible. These presentations can thus become valuable resources.
After this 10-minute presentation, a 10 to 15-minute discussion takes place with the entire group. If the initial selection of books reflects the different facets of the topic addressed in the training, this moment, which can last a good two hours, proves to be extremely rich. Each person contributes, and the subject unfolds facet by facet. Each participant becomes knowledgeable about one aspect through the book they chose and connects it to the overall topic.
There is a horizontal distribution of expertise: the other participants, who have also read and presented a book, feel fully authorized to contribute to this construction of collective intelligence in a less polemical and more collaborative manner.
Identifying collective intelligence
During the discussion, the session facilitator should take notes using collaborative mind mapping projected on a screen. They simply jot down what is being said, and everyone sees a written summary of the exchanges appear on the screen. These summaries are then shared with the entire group.
Thus, this moment allows for the co-construction of knowledge, perhaps in a more in-depth way, but certainly with stronger involvement from each participant regarding the book they chose. It also strengthens the connections between people and the contributions around each facet of the subject.
