The Multiplier Effect - John Hagel and John Seely Brown

Mr Donaldson and Mr Cuomo [of MITRE] hired two social network analysis researchers from Babson College, Salvatore Parise and Bala Iyer, to ascertain where information flowed most swiftly and became more valuable, and what people, behaviors and tools most aided that performance, they told the Ivey Business Journal. They discovered that their technology-mediated networks emboldened individuals to share more widely.

The “Aha” moment was recognising that their tools enabled some to become “brokers” between different groups in other parts of the organisation. “Collaboration” author Morton Hansen dubs such brokers “T-shaped” for their deep knowledge ( illustrated by the vertical line in the “T”) and strong interest in collaborating across domains (the horizontal line). As Scott Page explains in ”The Difference”, a book about how we can think smarter in groups, our most valuable talent thrives on working with diverse people. A talent-centered ecosystem tends to accelerate value for the firm and external parties that are participants in the ecosystem.