Episode 94: Unlocking Innovation With Networks

“ So we've been studying energizing ties for over 20 years now. And so we've found that people in organizations have a range of impacts on each other. At the one extreme are interactions we would call energizing. And I think we all kind of intuitively know the characteristics of an energizer. They help you tackle problems. They are kind of selfless in their willingness to help you. They're optimistic but not pie in the sky optimistic. And they act with honesty and integrity, and thoughtfulness. And so what we've found is that whether you're an energizer is a huge predictor of forwarding momentum through your organization.  So people who score high on these energizing scores by the network around them are much more likely to win with clients. They win in the internal labor market. They get more from people around them. There's been some great research that when you're in the presence of an energizer, you yourself are more creative.” -Dr. Peter Gray

In this episode of Control the Room, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Peter Gray about his years of experience creating more collaborative organizations through his work studying professional networks.  He shares how the pandemic has impacted workplace networks and influenced innovation.  Later, Peter explains how the size, reach, and quality of a professional's network impacts their career.  We then discuss how the future of work will reward team performance over the individual.   Listen in for more interesting thoughts on the future of work.