Our Think Tank is a small group with only one major qualification but I never tell potential members the criteria. Sure the members must be more intelligent, achieved, and creative, as that is the baseline. But even that minimum bar is difficult for most, needless to say, it's been a challenge recruiting members for our think tank, thus, the group remains small but can solve any problem.
Perhaps, the most unfortunate issue is that humans do not want the problems they've created for themselves solved, and they create new ones as fast as the solutions are presented. You humans are an interesting lot, I'll give you that much. Some say that think tanks should have the criteria that all members have a little political experience so they realize how the world works. Otherwise they come up with brilliant ideas and concepts, but they don't have a chance in hell of being accepted by the political body running the nation, state, county, city, or even school district for that matter.
Does that mean that every solution must solve everyone's problems? No, we must do what is wise and prudent, however we must also realize that we can't please everyone, nor should we create laws, rules, or solutions which unduly burden anyone or cause problems for them. We should not trample the rights of individuals for the common good, or ask everyone to sacrifice for the betterment of all, because in doing so we will create a solution which makes everyone miserable, and is a collage of compromise conditionally contrived by groupthink.
Should a thinking group require IQ tests? Many would believe so, and you can join Mensa and let you are incredibly smart. Should a band of thinkers require that each member have college degrees, and letters next to their name? Well, perhaps, but maybe not. Did Howard Hughes, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, or a host of other creative genius industrial capitalists have advanced degrees? I think not. How about the Wright brothers, they discovered how to make an aircraft. They were accomplished bicycle mechanics, not advanced academic scholars, although there was some engineering knowledge amongst them.
Should a master mind group member have run a business, participated in the free-market, or achieved something great in industry? That would be great, but if that were the criteria you'd only have business people on the panel, do you see that point? Perhaps, we need to look at many things, we probably don't want anyone in the thinking focus group that has under 120 IQ, we don't want anyone who flunked the Torrance Creativity Test, and we probably don't want anyone who's never achieved anything in their life either.
So, I guess that would be the first order of business for any think tank is to determine the proper criteria for membership. Please consider all this and think on it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
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