When asked about their biggest challenges at work, our clients all cite a common problem: other people. This response reflects the way we have been taught to focus on the gulfs between us rather than valuing our intellectual diversity—that is, the ways in which each of us is uniquely gifted; how we process information and frame questions; what kind of things deplete us, and what engages and inspires us. Through…

  Attention, like water, has several different “forms” or states. It can be “focused,” or solid as a cube of ice. This is a state where you give your attention to only one thing and ignore the rest of what is going on around you. Attention can also be in a “sorting” or mediating state, shifting from inner awareness to outer and back again, sorting and digesting information. You may…

A Daily Practice To Reclaim Your Attention By Dawna Markova, excerpted from Collaborative Intelligence     When I ask people what is their favorite way of connecting to them­selves, most have no idea what I’m talking about. The following tool is an exquisitely simple and elegant way of taking charge of your attention. It helps you find sanity in the crazy moments of life. • Choose any sense—what you feel…

What’s the Quality of Your Current Collaborative Intelligence? Each of these people influences the way your brain does or does not grow. You probably know intuitively that spending a lot of time with someone who is frenzied makes you feel anxious. Likewise, when you are with someone who is serene and centered, you most likely feel calmer and more at ease after being with them. What we haven’t known until…

The Power of Asking the Right Question   By Dawna Markova and Angie McArthur, Authors of Collaborative Intelligence       Although he’s best known for his humor, Jon Stewart is a master of something else that we sorely need right now: he knows how to ask a good question. Stewart is an expert at posing the kinds of questions that engage and connect with his guests—a diverse array of…