Driving Results Through Social Networks: How Top Organizations Leverage Networks for Performance and Growth

Chapter 3. MANAGING RAPID INNOVATION THROUGH EFFECTIVE NETWORKS

The term innovation usually conjures up an image of a brilliant employee or sequestered team creating the next lightbulb, sticky note, or software program. Too many companies today hold to this heroic vision when, in fact, this is not how innovation usually happens. The legendary story of 3M's Post-it Notes is one of collaboration and evolution that unfolded among research scientist Spencer Silver, product developer Art Fry, and countless others. Even Thomas Edison's success depended on a team—from the fifteen engineers in his Menlo Park laboratory to financier J. P. Morgan to men such as Samuel Insull who grew the utilities that made electricity a profitable business.^[16]

Consider ...