The forerunner in this week’s selected recommendations is a brilliant piece co-authored by several thinkers who dig deep into collaboration and published in the April issue of Harvard Business Review. As a strategist I am somewhat reluctant to single out one point they make over another, but in this instance and only for the purpose of this introduction, I reflect on a point the authors make in relation to trust as a factor in collaboration. They assert that “Without trust, most collaboration efforts are unlikely to survive, however noble the cause and worthy the participants”. Trust is something that, almost without failure, comes up early in discussions on collaboration. However, I notice that very often trust is not well managed by senior managers who have been rewarded in the past without trust being a critical component. As much as we like to think that trust can be built, the cruel reality is that in order for trust to truly be a value that underpins collaboration, many senior managers must undergo a radical shift in the way they operate, which can be very disruptive to many, and to some even a deal breaker. It takes a genuine leader to both recognise the cost of ignoring necessary change, and ability to implement it before collaboration can deliver. Having said that, the selection below is full of insights that may just be of help to potential leaders.
The Collaboration Imperative
“Business collaboration” is the great oxymoron of corporate sustainability. Countless efforts by companies to work together to tackle the most complex challenges facing our world today—including climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem loss—have failed because of competitive self-interest, a lack of a fully shared purpose, and a shortage of trust. To be sure, smart companies have embraced sustainability as a business imperative, and many have successful ongoing initiatives in areas they can address on their own—streamlining their manufacturing processes or reducing their fleet emissions, for instance. But when it comes to developing collaborative solutions to systemic problems, very little progress has been made…READ ON
The Future of HR, Part 22: 10 ways HR can help to improve (global) collaboration
In our organization, and in many other organizations, an important question is: how can we improve collaboration? Collaboration at all levels in the organization. Globally, regionally, in countries, between countries, in teams and in projects. There is an enormous opportunity for HR to increase impact by designing interventions that can help to improve collaboration. 10 examples:..READ ON
BSR’s New Climate Strategy: Ambition + Collaboration = Impact
BSR’s new climate strategy—through which we are launching two important new reports today, on Business in a Climate-Constrained World and the Future of Fuels—aims to mobilize our global business network, insights, and expertise in support of sustained business action on climate change. We start from the premise that all of our actions must be geared toward climate resilience, which we define as holding global warming to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and enhancing adaptation in the face of inevitable climate impacts. To that end, we are developing a series of industry-specific and cross-cutting strategies and programs designed to achieve large-scale, cumulative impact…READ ON
How marketers must adapt to the collaborative economy
Taking note of the collaborative economy means more people sharing fewer goods or service. I asked Owyang if that means brands will have to cut back on production or alter the way they market. “It means they must build longer lasting products that can pass through many hands,” he said. “It also means they can build new business and marketing models like rental agreements, verification of used goods, and upgrade and repair models. Sophisticated models like Peugeot’s Mu mobility club mean access to cars, trucks, scooters, and busses. Imagine if Samsung offered a club and all the newest equipment were sent to you like a lease.”..READ ON
ICC Helps Businesses Understand Collaboration in the New Age of Information Overload
In today’s increasingly connected world, collaboration often spells the difference between attaining corporate goals and missing the mark. People work and play in unbounded ways today, gaining insight and intelligence from anywhere on the planet in a matter of seconds. This is especially true for the next generation workforce now joining the corporate ranks. Having grown up with ubiquitous connectivity and collaboration, they expect the same level of unfettered access to tools, applications and data in the workplace…READ ON
Collaboration and Medical Countermeasures: Furthering Regulatory Science
Collaborating is particularly important to advancing regulatory science: developing the tools, standards, and approaches needed to evaluate FDA-regulated products—in this case, medical countermeasures—for safety, efficacy, quality, and performance. When it comes to developing the necessary data for regulatory decisions, medical countermeasures often present unique and complex challenges since the diseases they target rarely occur naturally…READ ON
Greater industry collaboration needed in Australian oil and gas
According to a group of sector leaders at a DNV GL hosted briefing and roundtable event in Perth, the Australian oil and gas industry must focus on developing greater collaboration as it brings a range of media projects into operation. The assertion was sparked partly by the February 2014 construction of three giant LNG plants side by side on Curtis Island, Queensland, which resulted in billion of dollars of duplicated investment. Similar overlaps have been highlighted elsewhere. A board member of an offshore services company spoke under Chatham House rules: ‘The Australian oil and gas industry is simply not collaborating enough. Operators and suppliers across the country would benefit by sharing best practice and the lessons they have learnt in a structured forum’…READ ON
…and now for something completely different…
How Much Can Poor Customer Service Cost Your Business?
Customer service is important. If you run a business, you already know that. But you might not realize just how great an impact poor customer service can have on your company’s bottom line. The data collected by ClickSoftware explains: “Poor customer experiences result in an estimated $83 billion loss by U.S. enterprises each year because of defections and abandoned purchases.” When dealing with customer service issues, it can be easy to focus more on the cost that might be associated with correcting issues. But the cost of not making your customers happy can be much greater. In many cases, just one misstep can cost you a customer that could have made future purchases with your business. In fact, the data suggests that 89% of consumers who experience poor service will switch to another brand…READ ON
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