Those who had best friends at work (only 30% of Americans) were 7 times more likely to be engaged with their job, they exhibited higher sales and profitability, better engaged customers,  produced higher quality work, had greater commitment to the firm’s mission,  had better safety records (since friends often made sure they were complying with safety precautions), were happier at work, and had a higher chance of sticking with a firm.  If workers didn’t have a best friend, only 8% of them were engaged in their job.

learning being a social activity

You will find that we have moved beyond student-centered learning to community-centered learning. A great deal of your educational experiences will be in and about communities. Your peers are not only co-learners. They are your learning consultants. Each of us will serve as a consultant to the other people in our community. We will listen to your descriptions of your communities of practice and your understandings of your identity within these communities. Then as a group we will engage you in a reflective process that helps you think about the way things are and how things might be. We will think with you about how best to engage with the people in your community to move you and them towards evolving goals.

collective intelligence