Tim Kastelle has a great post about how organisations can help to foster new ideas or – more often – kill them off. This quote particularly caught my eye:
Many managers like to run a tight ship that is focused on the task at hand—all business and no chit chat. Yet Pentland’s research has found that the most important predictor of success in a group is the amount—not the content—of social interaction. It is exposure to peer activity that drives learning and changes in behavior.
It’s from this post by Greg Satell referencing a piece of research I think I’ve mentioned before somewhere. Essentially we underestimate the value of coffee breaks. I often see groups sliding into a woraholic pattern of demanding meetings be productive; and the effort to be effective makes them ineffective.
