Creativity and Technical Innovation: Spatial Ability's Unique Role

 Fri 18 Oct 2013 

Can You Visualize a 3D Object from a Diagram?

Research Finding : 

High “spatial ability” in adolescence, including the capacity to visualize 3D objects from 2D patterns, is a statistically significant predictor of later creativity in science and technology. 

Experiment : 

 An international study of intellectually talented 13-year-olds, spatial ability improved their creavity  in creativity in science & techonlogy & in humanities   30 years later, in the participants’ likelihood of holding patents and being authors of refereed publications was found higher by  7.6%  .

 The findings support the argument that in omitting assessments of spatial ability, SATs and other standard college-admission tests fail to measure a dimension of cognitive ability that has crucial real-world significance ! 

Creativity and Technical Innovation: Spatial Ability's Unique Role

Invisible Gorilla Strikes Again: Sustained Inattentional Blindness in Expert Observers

 Tue 23 Oct 2013 

What Do You Fail to Notice When You’re Hard at Work?

Experiment : 

83% of two dozen radiologists who were searching for a lung nodule didn’t see the white outline of a standing gorilla that researchers had inserted into a computed tomography scan, even though it was 48 times the size of the average nodule, says a team led by Trafton Drew of Harvard Medical School. All of the participants reported seeing the gorilla when, after the experiment, they were shown the CT scan and asked if they noticed anything unusual about it. 

Reason ? 

Past studies have demonstrated that people who are engaged in a task often fail to notice unrelated images and occurrences; the current finding suggests that this “inattentional blindness” affects even experts

SOURCE: The Invisible Gorilla Strikes Again: Sustained Inattentional Blindness in Expert Observers

“How to Reward Your Stellar Team,” by Amy Gallo.

 Wed 23 Oct 2013 

Build the Right Team Behaviors

Even though most management systems focus on individual performance, it’s critical to reward and recognize your team collectively. As a team manager, support the right group behaviors by:

(1) Encouraging collaboration. 

Talk about your people as a team, not as a set of individuals. Instead of talking about individuals’ contributions, praise the common behaviors that contribute to the team’s overall success.

(2) Evaluating team performance.

 
Every six months or so, take a close look at the group’s progress. Don’t mention individuals in this appraisal but focus on what the team has done—and can do—together.

(3) Using rewards. 

If you are able, tie a portion of your organization’s discretionary compensation to team performance. If you don’t control the purse strings, try recognizing your team’s hard work in a public way—through a departmental email or even displaying their picture in a common space—or giving them exposure to senior leaders.

Adapted from “How to Reward Your Stellar Team,” by Amy Gallo.

“How Should Your Leaders Behave?” by Kevin Sharer

Thu 24 Oct 2013 Set the Standard for Great Leadership One proven way to develop effective leaders is to focus on the behaviors you expect them to display. (1) Spell out these activities personally with your top team ; NOT through consultants, facilitators, or how-to books ! (2) In these conversations, discuss what a leader in your organization should do . For example, act as a role model or motivate others—and describe each behavior with enough specificity to inform selection, training, and evaluation. Be precise, real, and action-oriented. (3) By describing these qualities as BEHAVIOURS (rather than as character traits) you’ll underscore two messages: (a) It isn’t worth much to have an attribute that you don’t display ! (b) And if you fall short of what the best leaders do, you can still close that gap ! All behaviours can be learned . Emphasizing behavior over traits also opens the door to style differences, as long as leaders maintain the standards you’ve set. Adapted from “How Should Your Leaders Behave?” by Kevin Sharer

Rising Stars and Sinking Ships: Consequences of Status Momentum

 Thu 24 Oct 2013

Your Status Depends Partly on Your Upward or Downward Momentum

An individual who was said to have risen in status to become the fourth-ranked member of a 10-person team was viewed by research participants as having greater prestige (6.60 versus 5.24 on a 1-to-9 scale) than if he was said to have declined to become fourth-ranked, according to a team led by Nathan C. Pettit of New York University. 

Reason ? 

In judging status, people appear to consider not only current position but also whether an individual has upward or downward “momentum,” the researchers say.

SOURCE: Rising Stars and Sinking Ships: Consequences of Status Momentum

" Chatting with the Cashier Will Improve Your Mood ( Is efficiency , overrated ? ) "

 Wed 30 Oct 2013

Researching Finding : 

" Chatting with the Cashier Will Improve Your Mood ( Is efficiency , overrated ? ) " 

If you buy your coffee quickly at Starbucks ( or at any coffee shop )  without saying much of anything, you’ll probably arrive at the office sooner, but if you stop to chat with the cashier, you might get to work in a better mood !  

Experiment : 

Research participants who smiled, made eye contact, and briefly conversed with the cashier subsequently reported greater satisfaction with the visit and were in better moods (4.31 versus 3.80 and 4.22 versus 3.60, respectively, on 1-to-5 scales) than those who avoided unnecessary conversation . 

  Seemingly trivial interactions can confer a sense of belonging, an effect that people tend to overlook in their quest for efficiency, the researchers say.

Research Courtesy :  Gillian M. Sandstrom and Elizabeth W. Dunn of the University of British Columbia.

SOURCE: Is Efficiency Overrated? Minimal Social Interactions Lead to Belonging and Positive Affect

“Great Leaders Who Make the Mix Work,” by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly.

 Thu 31 Oct 2013

Grow Diversity With Leadership Education

Organizations that successfully increase diversity provide leadership development opportunities, particularly for employees at the lower levels of the organization. For example, one company’s two-year “CEO Program” offers candidates intensive training and significant exposure to senior executives. The program includes external candidates and young candidates from previously disadvantaged backgrounds already in the company – and, while it’s a hefty financial commitment, it’s also a significant investment in the rapid advancement of promising members of the organization as well as recruitment. You can also offer high-potential employees opportunities for external education and development, and pay attention to who’s embracing these benefits. Keep in mind that diversity training cannot be hived off from the rest of the operation. It has to be woven into the culture.

Adapted from “Great Leaders Who Make the Mix Work,” by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly.