Its a concept reflecting on an unspoken agreement or mutual understanding among people when they act or work in alignment with shared thoughts or goals. It represents a common ground reached through implicit or explicit agreement, where everyone is effectively on the same page regarding actions or decisions.
Definition of Collective Consensus
Collective consensus refers to a concept where a group of individuals acts together to achieve a shared goal through actions, efforts, and decisions performed collectively rather than individually.
Organizations as a Collective Consensus
In organizations, collective consciousness refers to the shared understanding, attitudes, and values that permeate the organization.
This collective mindset shapes how the organization operates, achieves its business goals, and responds to challenges. Just as individuals have a consciousness guiding their actions, organizations develop a collective consciousness that influences their behavior and strategic decisions.
An organization is the sum of its parts and has an external identity. When we mention any brand, we recognize what it stands for and how it operates. Just like an individual, an organization has characteristics based on its DNA, values, and culture demonstrated through its actions.
Here are a few contexts in which organizations shape a collective consensus:
Shared Values and Beliefs: Members of the organization share core values and beliefs that create unity and purpose, guiding their actions and decisions towards common goals.
Cultural Norms: The organization develops cultural norms and practices that are widely accepted and followed, dictating acceptable behavior and establishing a framework for interactions.
Mutual Understanding: There is a mutual understanding among members about the organization’s mission, vision, and objectives, fostering collaboration and ensuring efforts are directed towards shared goals.
Coordination and Cooperation: The collective consciousness facilitates coordination and cooperation, making it easier to work together and achieve organizational objectives efficiently.
Decision-Making: Decisions within the organization are influenced by the collective consciousness, with leaders and employees considering shared values and goals, leading to outcomes that reflect the organization’s collective mindset.
In essence, viewing organizations as a collective consciousness highlights the power of unity, shared purpose, and cultural coherence in achieving business success and the responsibility that comes with it.
How This Ties Back to AI
AI stands as a marker for the fourth industrial revolution, with organizations at the forefront. AI is a concept we are bringing into existence by experiencing it and giving it meaning. The way organizations design AI strategies shapes collective experiences on how we view and use AI. Organizations today shape the first stage of our relationships with this new entity.
More Than a Tool…
AI is not just a tool or a system; it mimics human cognitive abilities and can do things beyond what we train it for. AI has human-like aspects tied to our thoughts, making it different from previous technologies. This requires a different approach beyond our past experiences with systems or tools.
Expanding and Supporting Human Thinking Abilities
AI gives humans the ability to explore new stages of human thinking evolution. It starts by accepting that this is a partnership around our thinking minds. Organizations must define what creativity means within their domains, train, and cultivate it within their values and culture. This applies to flexible thinking, critical thinking, and individuality. If we want to succeed in the age of AI, we need to protect these traits.
Human-Like Aspects Within Organizational Collective
This request to safeguard individuality, voice style, and overall essence extends to the organization as a whole.
Yes, it starts with individuals, but it needs to be part of what the organization does when using AI as part of its external exposure, by supporting brand communication, customer engagement, and more. Safeguard your organization’s voice, tone, and individuality is crucial in order to avoid blending into AI’s generic communications.
My Thoughts
We’ve never fully understood the power of the collective outside of country, religion, and politics. Organizations are the new global village, enabling people from different backgrounds to work together. This enormous power shapes how we think. With this power comes responsibility, especially now with the AI revolution. AI is a thinking revolution, and we are all experiencing it for the first time. There is nothing like the first impression. Take responsibility for your company’s future by training and cultivating new ways of thinking. See this as a partnership between humans and non-humans.
Wish to start supporting creativity for new ways of thinking? Look at one of our training courses. Inspire your team to new ways of thinking… AI thinking.