Did you know that your curiosity is a key driver for success, even your super power? Jon Cohen and Spencer Harrison's research on curiosity will leave you asking questions-and that is a good thing. Spencer Harrison is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD. His area of expertise focuses on three areas: 1) Creating: how do managers and leaders help people be creative together; 2) Coordinating: how do groups and teams work together in patterns that lead to optimal outcomes; and 3) Connecting: how do people connect with the organizations they work for. He works with Fortune 100 firms to dial in not only how new employees can better adjust to their work, but also how these companies can actually learn from their new employees. When it comes to the role of curiosity in organizations, the literature has almost exclusively been published by Spencer, including articles on the foundations of the role of curiosity in organizations, curiosity as a driver of creativity, and pliable guidance. Professor Harrison has conducted research projects with Google, NASA, and Black Diamond, and his various research work has been recognized by the academic community through multiple awards, as well as published in top management journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, and the Journal of Management. Professor Harrison is the Division Chair for the Managerial and Organizational Cognition of the Academy of Management. He is also a co-founder of the Creativity Collaboratorium, a working group of the world’s top-cited creativity scholars. He serves on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal and the Academy of Management Discoveries.
Jon Cohen is Chief Research Officer at SurveyMonkey. Jon joined SurveyMonkey in January 2014, bringing more than two decades of research, polling and data science expertise to the company’s portfolio of products and solutions, as well as strategic direction for future innovations. Previously, he was Vice President of Research at the Pew Research Center. As Director of Polling and Polling Editor, he also led The Washington Post’s polling operation through two presidential campaigns and four congressional cycles, as well as numerous gubernatorial and mayoral elections. Prior to the Post, he was a polling expert at ABC News and the Public Policy Institute of California. He is an active member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and previously served on AAPOR’s Executive Council, also as the president of its Pacific Chapter, PAPOR. Jon earned an MA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in History from Johns Hopkins University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx