From Dan Pink (now on the blogroll) via Barker:
when people solved problems on behalf of others, they produced faster and more creative solutions than they did when they solved the same problems for themselves.
So if you want the best solution to your problem, give it to someone else. Ouch to the ego!
And this is the point: it’s humiliating to watch someone blast through a problem I’ve slaved over for hours on end. No doubt for some this is exactly why some cannot work in a team. It’s hard to focus on outcomes and cede social status to the solver of your problem for the sake of the team.
But how powerful the team can be! Social ability is the ultimate intelligence.
The solitary mind can never reach its potential.
Not Unreasonable 