Reflection Point

Asking better questions takes practice. It’s ok to start small. Every time you ask a transactional “what” or “how” question, pause to add a “why” or a “what if” or a “what could be.” For every answer that seems to take you down a different path, simply add an extra prompt: “please say more.” Try the framework below and use this new skill to tap into new ideas, see others in a new light and deepen your understanding. In a changing and challenging world, can we afford not to ask the best questions we can? And to learn more about the science and power of questions, read this: https://loom.ly/nTL6Wbc

💡 A Deloitte survey of executives showed that 65% identified collaboration as a crucial workplace skill. But only 14% were satisfied with their company’s current ability to work well together. This is a disconnect and Reflection Point can help.

“What if…?” instead of “What…?” or “What could be…?” instead of “How much…?” When you focus on open-ended rather than transactional questions, you open up so many more possibilities! Yes, this can be tougher and might even cause a bit of anxiety, both for the person asking and the person answering. But the things that make you nervous are often the things that really matter. Good questions can spark new ideas by bringing out insights from others. Plus, they create a more inclusive environment, showing that you truly value someone else’s input. Learn how asking better questions can make you a better colleague and a better leader: https://loom.ly/nTL6Wbc

When it comes to new hires, the bloom quickly fades from the rose. Amy Edmondson’s research reveals that new employees come in eager to share ideas but often go quiet when leaders shut down their input. Keeping a culture of learning alive means welcoming questions from everyone, no matter their role. The most innovative workplaces thrive on curiosity, celebrating good questions to maintain psychological safety and encourage ongoing growth. Read more from The Prism, Reflection Point's monthly newsletter from CEO Ann Kowal Smith: https://loom.ly/vtR_sjI Interested in more? Subscribe and get insights right to your inbox. https://loom.ly/zaEiblE

Collective intelligence isn't about team "chemistry"; it's about building five key skills together. Our CEO, Ann Kowal Smith, shares each of the five and how Reflection Point helps develop these skills.

Innovation is rarely a solo endeavor. While Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the telephone, his original goal was to help the deaf communicate without sign language. His exploration of voice mechanics and fascination with the telegraph led to the “harmonic telegraph,” an early version of the telephone that earned him a patent, narrowly beating other inventors. Bell exemplifies a key truth despite his controversial views and sometimes closed-mindedness: innovation is a fusion of existing ideas. Human ingenuity is a collective effort, building on the experiences and cognitive abilities of many. In business, the most successful innovations arise when companies leverage the full spectrum of their team’s resources and diverse experiences. Innovation hinges on collective intelligence —connecting previously unlinked ideas to create something new. This requires critical soft skills: openness to diverse perspectives, honest reflection on current practices, and resilience in uncertainty. If you want your team to be more innovative, it all starts with unlocking collective intelligence: https://loom.ly/eXDHKJ4

Does a company benefit from creating shared breaks and time to socialize? That’s exactly what researchers at @MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory asked when they looked at social interactions among call center operators at @Bank of America. They outfitted them with “sociometers,” small wearable devices that measured their interactions with other operators. They found that more interactive team members had faster call times, less stress, and the same approval ratings as their less social peers. Intrigued, they convinced the company to restructure coffee breaks to pull more people from their phones at the same time and enable broader socializing. The results were astounding: a 20% reduction in average call handling time among the lowest-performing teams and 8% in the center overall. Changing the break schedule in ten other call centers (25,000 employees) caused significant jumps in employee satisfaction and boosted productivity by 15 million dollars a year. Pulling people out of their chairs to deepen their relationships created tangible financial results. Connection is the currency of productivity. You don’t have to outfit your people with devices to measure their interactions, but a little more intentional engagement time pays off. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen in most companies. Today’s workplaces are more isolated, divided and disconnected than ever. Here’s how to fix that: https://loom.ly/eXDHKJ4

We need each other now more than ever. If we're going to solve the problems of the future—how to manage our lives with machines, AI, and technology—we have to work together. Reflection Point CEO Ann Kowal Smith shares why she believes collaboration is important.

Summer may be coming to a close, but there's still time for a great summer read. And, as it happens, reading is not just a great summer pastime but also good for us. Reading—especially literary fiction—cultivates increased empathy, open-mindedness, and decreased stress. Reflection Point CEO Ann Kowal Smith has three recommendations: 📖 Trust by Hernan Diaz 📖 Klara And The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 📖 The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown Read more about Ann's recommendations: https://loom.ly/-DVLznk

“You can’t hate a man once you know him. Now that we know each other, there’s not a problem we can’t solve together.” Every week, factory workers at an engine manufacturer left the production line to do something completely different: talk about stories. Reflection Point facilitated discussions on everything from Ernest Hemingway’s short stories to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men. “We’re trying to change our culture. We’ve been doing things a certain way for over a hundred years, and we’re trying to get away from that. Reflection Point makes you come together, and it makes you talk to other people that you work with and see things from their perspective. It gets different ideas out there. That’s what we need, lots of different ideas, not just the same idea,” said one participant. The group discussed and sometimes hotly debated the stories. In the process, they got to know each other on a whole new level. Perspectives changed. Minds opened. And back on the production line, the team was transformed. They were more innovative, respectful, and better at solving problems together. “It brought our work group closer together, opened up lines of communication, and broke down barriers,” said the team supervisor. The team also credited Reflection Point with an increase in productivity. When asked why, a young machinist suggested that Steinbeck said it best: “You can’t hate a man once you know him,” he explained. “Now that we know each other, there’s not a problem we can’t solve together.” If you want to connect your team and build your collective intelligence, start here: https://loom.ly/eXDHKJ4