Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces, and Organizations Buzz with Energy # and Others Don't

If you are contemplating to make your unit, your organisation and your environment more innovative, exciting and stimulating then "Hot Spots" is a must read. The author, Lynda Gratton, a professor at the London Business School and a renowned authority on HR Strategy presents a concise yet compelling framework for promoting greater levels of cooperation towards the creation of positive energy, more productivity and innovation in the workplace. The core of the book is most effectively presented in chapters 3 to 6 which dwell upon the four elements, the essentials to create a "Hot Spot" as under: The first element towards the creation of a "Hot Spot" is towards "developing a cooperative mindset (where trust and a helpful attitude are a must). The second element relates to the concept of "boundary spanning" (people working in and across groups, functions and business units for the sharing of knowledge through close/familiar colleagues/friends as well as acquaintances/associates. The third element relates to an "igniting purpose" (working for an ambitious and overreaching goal/task - here the role of the leader, be it the CEO, the unit head and the team leader to inspire and motivate through asking difficult and purposeful questions is a crucial element and is further explored in Chapter 7). Productive Capacity i.e. the fourth and final element is really about managing these groups and teams in terms of appreciating talents, about making and keeping commitments and in managing conflict and time. The book also contains an excellently worded appendix that acts as a resource guide complete with diagnostic surveys for the creation of "Hot Spots." This section is in essence a mini workshop on "Hot Spots" and is a must read to be used by teams and colleagues alike. The book's underlying message is crisp and most relevant yet seemingly difficulty to apply in the real world of organisational life i.e. for organisations to flourish and create value, processes need to be created and fostered towards the building of partnerships and alliances; an essential prerequisite being an collaborative mindset existing amongst it's people. Professor Gratton's treatise on "Hot Spots" makes for a very interesting read and is quite inspirational backed by a decade of research on some of the top-performing organisations the world over (BP, Goldman Sachs, Nokia, Ogilvy One to name a few). Readers are also urged to read two of her earlier excellent and inspirational works - Living Strategy (2001) and The Democratic Enterprise (2004) which complete this trilogy (wherein Hot Spots is the third). A highly recommended read for all in the corporate fraternity. *******

In this volume, Lynda Gratton explains how and why "boundaryless cooperation fuels innovation...why some teams, workplaces, and organizations buzz with energy - and others don't." The business model she recommends is an "open" one. In fact, it is precisely what Henry Chesbrough brilliantly explains in Open Innovation and in his more recent book, Open Business Models. What is a "boundaryless" organization? GE is probably the most prominent example. (Curiously, there are no references in Hot Spots to Chesbrough, GE or its former CEO, Jack Welch.) According to Gratton, a "boundaryless organization" is one within which people are engaged in "purposeful conversation"; there are no barriers to communication, cooperation, and collaboration; and the organization has an ever-widening "net of involvement." Those whom Gratton calls "boundary spanners" are very important because they break down the "walls" between in-groups and out-groups. They have a network of relationships that form a natural bridge between the two groups. (Chesbrough calls them "innovation intermediaries.") In a boundaryless organization, people feel energized and vibrantly alive. Their brains buzz with ideas as they share with others the joy and excitement of "exploiting and applying knowledge that is already known and genuinely exploring what was previously unknown." Relationships between and among those involved create a Hot Spot. "One of the most profound insights about Hot Spots is that their innovative capacity arises from the intelligence, insights, and wisdom of people working together. The energy contained in a Hot Spot is essentially a combination of their individual energy with the addition of the relational energy generated between them." Hence the importance of (a) having a "cooperative mindset," (b) "boundary spanners," (c) "igniting purpose," and (d) sustaining sufficient "productive capacity." Gratton acknowledges that there is much of substantial value to be learned by examining best practices in exemplary companies (e.g. BP, PgilvyOne, Nokia, and Linux)but also other types of practices, notably what she characterizes as "signature processes" which embody a given organization's character. They arise from passions and interests within the organization. Whereas best practices "bring the outside in," signature processes "bring the inside out." To Gratton's great credit, after identifying the "what" in the Introduction and Chapters 1 and 2, she focuses most of her attention on "how" and "why" in the remaining six chapters. I also appreciate the provision of information in three appendices, especially in the first ("Resources for Creating Hot Spots"). And I especially appreciate Gratton's decision to want until the final chapter before explaining how to design (or re-design) an organization in which Hot Spots "emerge." The process consists of five phases best revealed within Gratton's narrative (i.e. in context) but I do presume to suggest that Hot Spots are inevitabl

I've been involved in just a few of what Ms. Gratton calls Hot Sports. These were projects that somehow gathered together a group of people totally dedicated to success. They were good people, working at the limits of their capabilities and an amazing amount of work was accomplished in a very short time. I had never realized that this would be the subject of academic study, or that it could be managed to occur as part of a regular business environment. Ms Gratton says that there are four criteria that must come together to make a Hot Spot work: A cooperative mindset: when people are excited, willing, eager and able to work together Boundary spanning: with people fromdifferent backgrounds, skill sets, and outlooks combine their expertise in new ways Igniting purpose: there must be a question, task, vision that creates a shared goal Productive capacity: people must be able to work together, resolve conflicts, and manage the rhythm and pace of their work.

Hot Spots is essential reading for leaders struggling to produce results with lean, cross-functional organizations -- in other words, this is a book that every business leader should read. The good news is that each chapter ends with a concise one-page summary. That makes it possible to skim the whole book in about 15 minutes, coming away with its essential points. Hidden beneath the slick packaging is deep and meticulous research on a broad selection of teams, conducted by a first-rate academic. So don't settle for the quick skim. The whole book is only 200 pages; drilling down into the detail is worth the effort and not all that hard. Key takeaways include the role of gender in teams (a critical mass of female members can enhance team success), and the way a few highly-functioning teams can influence an entire organization. There's plenty of intelligent guidance about implementation along the way.

Hot Spots allow latent energy to productively flower into innovation. They exist when the creative enthusiasm emerges within and between people. As a human phenomon that generates innovative results and competitive advantage, there seems to be a nearly magical aura about their reality, which the author fully succeeds in capturing in concrete terms, showing what makes these groups so amazing. Hot Spots can not be created, but must emerge; leadership, however, can create the right circumstances to allow a Hot Spot to come to life, focusing on practices, processes, norms, or behaviors; the book provides maps and scenarios that reveal how such levers work. A Hot Spot is a multiplicative blending of three elements: 1. a cooperative mindset (melding intellectual, social, and emotional capital), 2. boundary spanning (the depth and extent of relationships), and 3. an igniting purpose which stems from energizing questions, visions or tasks, Hot Spots are sustained by a fourth element, productive capacity, consisting of five productive practices: appreciating talent, making commitments, resolving conflicts, synchronizing time, and establishing a rhythm. Based on extensive research, the author explores the dynamic nature and elements of Hot Spots. The book's Appendix A provides diagnostic questions and instruments for leaders to apply in practice. The concept of Hot Spots is brought into sharp focus in this fascinating book. The author's insights make for compelling reading. If innovation is important to you, this book is MUST READING. Highly recommended.