Diversity Bonuses and Collective Intelligence
by Professor Scott E. Page
June 16, 2021 at 10:00 am ET

The complexity of modern medicine, and for that matter society writ large, produces problems, tasks, and opportunities that outstrip the capacities of any one person. Thus, most high-value, critical tasks are assigned to teams rather than individuals. The collective intelligence of a team depends in large part on the diversity of its members - their various ways of representing problems, their points of view, their experiences, their training, and their technical tools. The contributions of diversity to collective intelligence take many forms and vary depending on the type of task. Successful organizations learn how to attract and retain diverse talent, select proper organizational and institutional structures, and create a culture that encourages openness along with critical engagement.