The Magic Number for Creating a Successful Team, with Robin Dunbar

Intelligence Squared

The anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar is Emeritus Professor of evolutionary psychology at Oxford University. He’s also part of a small club of academics whose work has become part of the modern public discourse as the thinker behind Dunbar’s Number, the idea that humans can only meaningfully maintain around 150 social relationships at a time. In the social media and hybrid working age, his work has helped us better understand how our friendships and online networks operate. His latest book, co-authored with Oxford University colleagues Samantha Rockey and Tracey Camilleri from the Saïd Business School, is The Social Brain: the Psychology of Successful Groups. The book explores how we can apply our scientific knowledge of how people form and maintain relationships to build better, happier and more creative teams. It argues that rather than being simply nice-to-have, prioritising social activities and social spaces in the workplace is essential. Joining Dunbar to discuss it is Sophie McBain, who is a contributing editor at New Statesman magazine and writes about books and ideas for The Guardian and The Sunday Times.

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