Creative and Synergetic Moments

Larry Miller ¹ discusses the different stages that consultation goes through to arrive at a decision. Each stage has a different pattern of conversation.  One of these stages is referred to as “dialogue” and concerns the process of seeking meaning and understanding. It is the most meditative stage of consultation. It is a process that requires patience, silence, finding your own inner voice, and the search for what is truly important. But at the same time, dialog is more than an individual meditative reflection, it is a period where the group thinks together (Figure 7).

Figure 7.  From debate to dialog (from LM Miller)

Kolstoe ¹ illustrates what can happen in a group undergoing consultation. A theoretical optimal group decision is represented by a circle, which he calls the “Circle of Truth.” When consultation is undertaken, this optimal group decision is unknown; it has to be discovered by the group during the consultative process.

During the consultative process, each individual brings his or her idea to the group. The idea of individual “B” can be represented by an oval (Figure 8), which is represented to lie partly within the circle of truth (B1) and partly outside the circle (B2).

Figure 8.  Conceptual circle of truth and representation of one person’s idea (from J Kolsoe).

If the ideas of 6 participants are shown graphically, it may be that no two people share exactly the same ideas, although there may be some overlap (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Representation of the ideas of 6 persons in relation to the circle of truth (From J Kolsoe).

At the start of the consultative process, the individuals express their ideas and the creative interplay of ideas begins. An individual’s opinion does not remain constant, it is influenced and changes when new information is received or a new idea is generated, or there is a molding of ideas within the group (Figure 10). The areas of overlap within the circle of truth are important, but not necessarily the determining factor. One individual (such as “F” in the graphic below) may be prompted to open up a previously unexplored area within the circle of truth, and lead the group to synergy.