Crowdsourcing Anonymous – how mass co-creation is changing the business landscape

• 

In the age of technology, turning to the nameless masses for solutions is easier and more accessible than ever… and it’s altering the way businesses do business.

Crowdsourcing: fast-tracking innovation

Ever looked up a restaurant’s rating on Yelp before booking? How about searching for parenting advice, book recommendations or hotel reviews? In fact, how many decisions do you actually make without consulting good old Google? You do it, I do it, most people do it – and that’s the point really. The more people contribute their opinions, the more informed we become. This kind of pooling together of wisdom forms the basis of what’s known as “crowdsourcing”. But crowdsourcing doesn’t only draw on collective opinions, it can also be used to amass funds, collect ideas and share expertise. From the growing number of crowdsourcing sites, it’s pretty safe to say that our reliance on shared tangible resources, skills and viewpoints isn’t going anywhere. In fact, technology is making it easier and easier to draw on the collective wisdom of the crowd. From crowdfunding to political mobilization to parent support groups, the power of the crowd is now a common way in which to solve personal and professional problems. It makes perfect sense, if you think about it. People have been passing on knowledge for millennia and, as the world becomes increasingly connected, we are able to widen the radius in which we share our thoughts and expertise. From a professional standpoint, this has caused a massive acceleration in innovation, altering the way businesses operate and develop. As Epi Ludvik (founder of Crowdsourcing Week) puts it, crowdsourcing is “all about participation and the ability to co-create via an increasingly connected world. This new way of doing things (crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, co-creation, collaboration and open innovation) is challenging established business models and how companies work across the board. It offers an immense opportunity to rethink and reinvent conventional processes.”

Be heard, not herded

Of course, the risk of crowdsourcing is that the views of many are overly-influenced by the views of few. Often the opinion of one influential member of a group will inform the opinions of others, leading to what’s known as “herd mentality” or “groupthink”. Yet recent research has found that the wisdom of the crowd is stronger than originally thought- and can even overcome cognitive biases such as groupthink. But, and this is a big BUT, this same research has discovered that crowdsourcing only works if every voice is equally heard, and not if one voice dominates above others. Indeed, studies have shown that crowdsourcing works better in what researchers refer to as “decentralized networks”, networks in which people can communicate on equal footing with one another. As opposed to centralized networks, where the accuracy of the group is dependent on the accuracy of just a few influencers, researchers found that in decentralized networks, the average opinion became more accurate after participants were able to formulate their own thoughts and communicate them freely to one another.

Blind the crowd

So how do we go about creating decentralized networks that enable a more level mode of communication? Well, one answer would be to introduce a “blind” platform where each idea could be judged on its merit, not its inventor  and on which users could voice their opinions anonymously, without the risk of being overlooked, undermined or biased against. In fact, self-censorship, along with herd mentality, are two major stumbling blocks when it comes to crowdsourcing – particularly the crowdsourcing of opinions. Participants often tailor their contributions in order to maintain the status quo, meaning the more ground-breaking thoughts and ideas may be watered-down or remain unvoiced. Anonymity is an antidote to this, provoking more constructive ideas. In an article on conducting employee surveys, HBR noted that when asked to submit feedback, anonymity is the number one concern for employees.  When employees know their feedback will remain anonymous, they are more likely to submit honest, productive feedback… and they’re also more likely to submit it more often. Evidently the type of environment in which a crowdsourcing initiative is implemented is of fundamental importance. This is especially true when considering the vital role crowdsourcing plays and will continue to play in the world, a phenomenon Ludvik describes as “bigger than a movement.” “In the decades to come” says Ludvik, “(crowdsourcing) will be the new DNA of our society in the digital and physical world.”

Want to know more about how we can help you lay the foundations of anonymous crowdsourcing?