65. Ties That Bind: Why Remote and Hybrid Teams Need the Right Connection | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The pandemic forced a massive shift to virtual and hybrid work, leading to an exploration of how this new way of working impacts innovation. Research shows that while productivity improved in virtual settings, the fragile connections required for innovation suffered. An adaptive hybrid work model is proposed to optimize innovation based on the different stages of the innovation process and the type of social capital available.

Key Insights

• 💦 Productivity remained high or improved in virtual work settings, contrary to expectations.
• 🤨 The connections necessary for innovation became more fragile in virtual settings, which raised concerns about the long-term impact on innovation.
• 💦 An adaptive hybrid work model that considers the stage of innovation and the type of social capital available is proposed to optimize innovation in a virtual or hybrid work environment.
• 💦 Experimentation and flexibility are crucial in finding the best approach to hybrid work and innovation.
• 🙈 Authentic communication, being the same person in public and private, is seen as a valuable trait.
• 🍰 Short, meaningful, and interesting communication is more likely to spread and have an impact.
• 🏍️ The gossip and reputation cycle can provide insights into effective communication strategies.

Transcript

How we work, how we innovate, how we interact have all changed dramatically in the recent past. Today I'm excited to dive into learning how innovation and our new style of hybrid work interact. I'm Matt Abrahams, and I teach Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, The Podcast. [MUSIC] I am... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the pandemic impact productivity in virtual work settings?

Surprisingly, productivity in virtual work settings remained high or even improved for knowledge workers. Many managers and researchers had expected a decline in productivity, but were proven wrong by the data.

Q: What research question led to the study of innovation in virtual work environments?

The researchers wanted to understand the long-term impact of virtual work on innovation. They were particularly interested in whether the connections necessary for innovation were maintained in virtual settings and whether innovative ideas were generated at the same velocity.

Q: What are the different stages of innovation?

The three stages of innovation are ideation, incubation, and scaling. Ideation involves brainstorming and generating ideas, incubation focuses on testing and fine-tuning ideas, and scaling involves implementing successful ideas across the organization.

Q: How do bonding and bridging ties relate to the different stages of innovation?

Bonding ties refer to close connections between individuals who regularly interact and provide feedback, while bridging ties stretch across different parts of the organization. In the ideation stage, bridging ties are crucial to facilitate idea flow. In the incubation stage, bonding ties help teams execute ideas effectively. In the scaling stage, bridging ties are needed to gain resources and access different parts of the organization.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The pandemic prompted a shift to virtual and hybrid work models, sparking interest in how this affects innovation.

• Research found that productivity remained high or improved in virtual settings, but the connections needed for innovation became more fragile.

• An adaptive hybrid work model is suggested to optimize innovation, taking into consideration the different stages of the innovation process and the type of social capital available.