How to Build a Broader Network within Your Company

A growth mindset can help you make connections with colleagues who think differently.

March 06, 2024

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Professional relationships, like all interpersonal connections, tend to form between individuals who are similar to each other. And having a fixed belief that relationships tend to develop spontaneously can inhibit one from reaching out and building diverse relationships. A study indicates that embracing a growth mindset — believing that relationships can be cultivated through effort — can pave the way for boundary spanning networks. These networks are critical for fostering innovation and creativity. According to the researchers, the key lies in changing one’s perspective on relationship building.

When we ask groups of executives if their organizations have become more or less diverse in thought over the last several years, the answer is often unanimous. In one way or another, nearly everyone has witnessed an increase in divergent attitudes, perspectives, and values in the workplace — welcome news given decades of research showing that this type of diversity can foster innovation, creativity, and productivity in organizations.

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Ko Kuwabara is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at INSEAD Asia in Singapore. His current research focuses on social exchange in the context of networking, including beliefs and misperceptions that derail productive relations and interactions in the workplace. He received his PhD in sociology from Cornell University.

Jiyin Cao is an Associate Professor at the School of Management and Economics and Shenzhen Finance Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. She received her PhD from the Kellogg School of Management. Her research focuses on trust, culture, and the psychological processes underlying social network formation and decay.

Soomin Sophie Cho is an Assistant Professor in the Organizations and Innovation Group at the University College London School of Management. She received her PhD in Management from Columbia Business School. Her research interests lie in the areas of culture, entrepreneurship, and diversity.

Paul Ingram is the Kravis Professor of Business at Columbia Business School. He consults on leadership, organizational design, and strategy to companies around the world.