Are You Intelligent?

Are you intelligent? Do you believe you are?

One of the ways of interpreting intelligence focuses on cognitive processes, examining how people solve problems (Sternberg & Kaufman, 1998, 49:479–502). This involves the executive function of our brain and encompasses three key skills: working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility. What this means for us, in layman terms:  can we hold the information in our minds, inhibit our behaviours based on past rules and be flexible enough to consider other angles, possibilities?

As we delve into exploring the brain, behaviour and cognition this semester in my MSL journey, I find myself reflecting on the implications of intelligence in the work that I do as an Adult Educator and Consultant supporting learning and performance.

Why do individuals not see their potential and their capability to grow? Why do they not trust in the brilliance of their ideas at the workplace?

A common issue faced by business owners and management is the generation of ideas by their employees. While they are extremely welcoming of ideas on improving work processes, solving operational / client related issues which contribute to their organisation's strategic goals, their employees appear less forthcoming with sharing their suggestions.

It is puzzling, really.

Many of the business owners and management I worked with are humble despite their brilliance, always learning and truly value their employees. These are often reflected in the culture of the organisation and how they interact with their team. I personally witnessed how a second-generation business owner addressed each employee by his/her name (or made the effort to learn their names if they are new) in their two to three hundred-strong workforce.

And their employees? Huge respect for their bosses and plenty of fantastic ideas on how they can help the organisation from where they are. So why then, this disconnect in information exchange?

Here's what I discovered in my work with client organisations:

1). Self-Inhibition - 'My Ideas are Stupid'

In organisations where the employees view their bosses to be extremely intelligent, they may have a tendency to place them on a pedestal. They believed their bosses to have considered all possible solutions, including the ones they have. In the employees' minds, their internal scripts seem to tell them that higher positions in the organisation automatically equates to higher intelligence. And since they are at the middle or lower rungs of the hierarchy, they are less intelligent. The employees view their ideas as 'stupid' and thus, inhibit themselves from sharing these ideas with their superiors.

Interventions which clearly communicate and reinforce the value of each idea can offer employees the confidence to share what they have (no matter how insignificant they perceive these to be).

2). Cognitive Flexibility: Curiosity and Exploration - 'I Shared, We Tried and It Did Not Work'

For ideas to be adopted and implemented in the organisation, there could be other considerations beyond the immediate financial returns and / or cost savings. For example, while the addition of new menu item in one franchisee outlet may increase its immediate sales takings, it may affect the overall branding and positioning of the brand's master franchisor in the long run. There could further operational considerations on the inventory and maximising space in revenue generation.

While the employees may offer their valuable insights, they can learn to play with different perspectives in their minds and examine how the ideas might potentially work in a real-world setting.

3). Inhibition and Flexibility - 'I Have a Fantastic Idea! But I Don't Know How to Tell My Boss About It.'

Good ideas, not matter how fantastic they are, remain thoughts in the mind unless they are communicated and presented to the key stakeholders in a way they understand. Different stakeholders in the organisation, by virtue of where they are, typically review ideas from a particular frame due to their training and experience.

For example, business owners / management consider elements such as financial outlay versus return on investment (ROI) while operational teams may consider operational constraints such as staffing and manpower shortages.

The different lenses often translate to how the ideas are presented from the employees to their bosses. An inability to communicate and present ideas confidently and in a way which the latter will understand usually means the pre-mature death of a potentially brilliant idea. This is exacerbated by the power distance between the business owner / management and their employees, since it can create anxiety in the employees and further inhibit their desire to share.

It is useful to support employees in strengthening their communication capability. Business owners / management can also learn to draw out ideas from employees by adopting a more facilitative approach. Finally, organisations can create processes to systematically capture and validate proposed ideas.

I personally believe that we are intelligent beings and regardless of age, WE CAN LEARN to become even better in the way we think and process information.

Are you intelligent? Do you believe you are?

For me, it is a resounding YES and YES.