The Hidden Factor

Interestingness requires the proper connections and interactions among diverse parts.  (p8) 

  • The Hidden Factor: Why Thinking Differently Is Your Greatest Asset, By: Scott E. Page, The Great Courses - PDF-186p

When we don't see diversity producing benefits.... then we should go looking for a cause.. 

Now that cause is all too often stems from an inability to communicate or a lack of trust.  

No one can consider, much less implement an idea they don't hear.

Ideas go unheard because we don't listen, because we don't understand or because they are never uttered in the first place....because we don't feel safe sharing in a diverse group.

<Bonk:  About 15 - 20 minutes into the audio - available on Audible.com>

  • I feel like this is like the Groundhogs Day Movie all over again almost every call. 
  • We keep rehashing these issues.

--  Mary Mealer (MO)

2019 0903 - NAIC  Life Insurance Illustrations Working Group (LIIIWG)

<Bonk:  I've been on 2 NAIC Conference Calls where an active member (I believe it was the same person both times) was talking to a co-worker when another party was speaking.>

(page 11) - The Hidden Factor Audible PDF

Often, identity diversity and cognitive diversity are correlated.

Therefore, the identity diversity of our work teams is going to imply a degree of cognitive diversity, which is going to make the teams better at what they do.

On the other hand, identity diversity can also produce conflict, mistrust, and miscommunication—all of which can harm performance.

Mistrust, definition
1: to have no trust or confidence in 
2: to doubt the truth, validity, or effectiveness of
3:  to be suspicious of
  • 2019 0830 - Letter - CEJ / NAIC -  Life Insurance Illustrations - Response to Recent Comments by the ACLI and NAIFA, Center for Economic Justice (CEJ), Birny Birnbaum
    • ACLI
      • For anyone following the working group 's efforts, the observer might be surprised at the blatant contradiction and abject hypocrisy shown by Mr. Lovendusky<ACLI> in asking the working group to ignore its charge after routinely taking up the working group's time with diatribes and false accusations against others for recommendations allegedly exceeding the working group's charge.
      • Yet, now, as the working group is finalizing its work, Mr. Lovendusky shows neither embarrassment nor shame for engaging in precisely the same offensive act of which he has accused others.
    • NAIFA -
      • Despite no participation to date in the working group’s efforts over the past four years, NAIFA decides it needs to now weigh in on the important role of agents in the life insurance sales process and that without an agent to interpret these documents for consumers, the consumers will be lost at sea. 
      • Mr. Sanders’s drive-by comments to the working group are based on false assertions and misunderstanding of the working group’s efforts. His comments have no relevance for the current efforts of the working group.