None of us are as dumb as all of us.
A counter to the older, pro-teamwork adage "None of us are as smart as all of us."
Speaks to the risk of lower-level workers' input being useless if upper management gives its own opinion first, due to the tendency of workers to fall in line once the position of the leader (who could fire them for dissent) is known.
The wording above was written on a wall at NASA's Houston complex after the Challenger disaster, as reported by astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Although the concept has long been known of, once it took the form of an aphorism, it acquired a viral quality.
A counter to the older, pro-teamwork adage "None of us are as smart as all of us."
Speaks to the risk of lower-level workers' input being useless if upper management gives its own opinion first, due to the tendency of workers to fall in line once the position of the leader (who could fire them for dissent) is known.
The wording above was written on a wall at NASA's Houston complex after the Challenger disaster, as reported by astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Although the concept has long been known of, once it took the form of an aphorism, it acquired a viral quality.
Niels Bohr and son Aage asked low-level engineer Richard Feynman their questions before asking higher-ups like Oppenheimer, partly to avoid taking up important administrators' time, but also to avoid Kelly's law of committees. Asking the higher-ups first, with lower-level workers present, would have a chilling effect on the latter's offering their own ideas and concerns.
by WhatwasIsaying December 24, 2024
Get the Kelly's Law of Committeesmug. A group set up to listen to, learn from and act on the needs of the team to help make everyone's experience of coming to work more honest, fulfilling and fun. The Cardboard Committee aims to give people a space to make suggestions on how we can better our work culture and environment, and come up with ways to transform those ideas into practical and tangible habits that create change.
I'm going to take the time to answer the Cardboard Committee's survey thoughtfully because they value my opinion and I believe that they're going to help bring about positive change in the workplace.
by jubajoo August 16, 2018
Get the Cardboard Committeemug. by pitchmaster September 25, 2022
Get the Titty Committeemug. by Zzzzzala November 10, 2025
Get the Itty bitty tittie committeemug. We serve oatmeal for any of our school's students who actually want it, but I don't insist dat they all consume huge bowls of it for their morning meal --- I don't want said impressionable youngsters to invalidly think dat da cafeteria-workers are part of a "judishiary committee". We offer other healthy selections like shredded wheat and milk, whole wheat pasta and tomato sauce, chopped-fruit cups, scrambled eggs, whole-grain buttered toast, and cinnamon applesauce.
by QuacksO April 22, 2025
Get the judishiary committeemug. by Therealcommittee January 13, 2019
Get the Proof committeemug. A group, often coworkers, whose stupidity and ineptitude combine to make for a useless team where you end up doing all the work
by Silver_Leaf June 26, 2022
Get the idiot committeemug.