Seeking Common Ground in Conversations Can Stifle Innovation and Reward the Wrong People

SmartBrief Insights writes, "Given the choice between discussing mediocre ideas from a well-known colleague and a brilliant new approach by an unknown, most people would prefer to discuss the ideas from the familiar figure, new research shows. Charismatic thought leaders can stifle innovation, say Stanford Graduate School of Business researchers, because they crowd out better ideas from less efficient self promoters."

Seeking Common Ground in Conversations Can Stifle Innovation and Reward the Wrong People

"In our research, we found that people are most likely to talk about things they think they have in common with others, rather than topics or ideas that are more unusual or striking," said Nathanael J. Fast, a PhD student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

How can businesses effectively get the innovation machine rolling--without big personalities getting in the way? Perhaps brainstorming sessions, blind votes and even blind idea sharing.