At Stevens & Tate, it would be an understatement to say we do a lot of idea/concept generation. Over the past few decades, I’ve tried to put my finger on which components create the most hospitable environment for great ideas to bear fruit, but a recent book by Malcolm Gladwell entitled “Outliers” helped me identify perhaps the biggest ingredient to strong creative collaboration.

In “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point and Blink) chronicles the remarkable health and longevity exhibited by the inhabitants of Roseto, a small Pennsylvania town. According to the book, a large number of its  inhabitants originated from a mountainous area in Southeast Italy, who after carving a life for themselves in America, sent for additional members of their family to join them in America.

This interesting thing about this group of people was that unlike national averages, hardly any Rosetans under age 65 had heart disease/heart attacks. In the 1950’s, when research was undertaken on the Rosetans, heart disease was the leading cause of death among men of this age, so this merited closer examination. What researchers found was that Rosetans ate relatively unhealthy diets, had a large proportion of smokers, didn’t exercise particularly often and obesity was relatively common among their numbers.

After eliminating all the expected health contributors (diet, exercise, physical environment, etc.), Gladwell chronicles how researchers finally determined that it was the supportive, interactive social structure – or sense of community – that led to their longevity and vitality. Multi-generational families living under one roof were commonly seen as well as numerous interactions between the young and elderly. Of note, once Rosetans left the geographic area, leading to more insular lifestyles, their health statistics fell back to the national averages.

A similar thing could be said of the creative process. The best sessions we have conducted have involved multiple people–ideally from various departments–bringing differing viewpoints together in a mutually respectful, collaborative environment. On the flip side, when we have kept the brainstorming sessions more insulated (or in a bubble so to speak) with little collaboration until the very end, the results generally leave a lot to be desired.

Suffice it to say, we try to stick with lots of collaboration throughout the process. Also, when the common goal of the upcoming brainstorming session is shared at the outset, additional benefits regularly include increased ownership by participants, greater respect for others’ ideas, and greater transparency of thoughts and opinions. And the greatest result of all in the process? Healthy, robust thinking everyone can take credit for.

But enough about us. What elements help your group collaborate/create more effectively?