集思广益

集思廣益
jísī-guǎngyì
idiom #43,117

Meanings

  1. 1 to pool wisdom for wider benefit
  2. 2 to gather diverse opinions for better outcomes
  3. 3 to brainstorm collectively

Examples

Wǒmen kāihuì shì wèile jísī-guǎngyì.
We're holding the meeting to pool ideas.
Jiějué zhège wèntí xūyào jísī-guǎngyì.
Solving this problem requires gathering everyone's input.
Gōngsī gǔlì yuángōng jísī-guǎngyì, tíchū gǎijìn jiànyì.
The company encourages employees to brainstorm and offer suggestions for improvement.

Tips

history
Comes from Zhuge Liang's 《教与军师长史参军掾属》 (Three Kingdoms): 夫参署者,集众思,广忠益也 - the purpose of an advisory office is to gather many thoughts and broaden loyal contributions. Zhuge Liang's management philosophy distilled into four characters.
usage
Positive and common in workplace settings - meetings, brainstorming, planning. Often paired with 群策群力 (everyone contributes strategies and effort). 集思 = gather thoughts, 广益 = broaden benefit.

Stroke Order

广 guǎng