Collaboration can divide people before they have a chance to talk about it. Well, not as a general rule but not surprisingly, it does happen. The division I’m referring to is not based on any deep philosophical grounds, or on the strong views that emerge when people practice collaboration for a serious period of time. I’m talking about something of a more trivial nature; the word itself.

Collaboration conjures up all sorts of images and ideas in people’s mind, which are directly related to the personal experiences one may or may not have had with collaboration. Collaboration is not the only word in English that can do that. After all, the meaning of words is not a static thing. So when I hear the word collaboration, for me it’s a good thing and instinctively my attention is focused with an expectation that something interesting, exciting, valuable or even ground breaking happened or is about to happen But I am aware that sometimes the first thing someone hears when we speak of collaboration is ‘cooperate treasonably’ – one of its definitions. However, it may just be that it is really hard to conceive how collaboration can mean anything other than a positive joint effort. Collaboration with its fresh meaning is here, it’s making a real difference and it is relevant. The selection of recommended reading below attests to this.

How collaboration in ERP drives innovation

Conversation inspires innovation, which is why collaboration has become increasingly important. Making it easier for staff and departments to share information and views means that skills and knowledge can be pooled, leading to quicker problem-solving and project progression as well as sparking new ideas. Working together to deliver improved customer satisfaction isn’t new, and is already well-practiced in the world of customer relationship management (CRM) and best-of-breed project management solutions. Now is the time for businesses to benefit from social collaboration within enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions…READ ON

Greater collaboration among CFOs and HR leaders drives stronger business performance

◾ 80% of CFOs and CHROs say their relationship has become more collaborative over the past three years

◾Where the relationship is significantly more collaborative:

◾41% had greater than 10% EBITDA growth in the last year, compared to only 14% of other companies

◾43% saw a significant improvement in workforce productivity in the last year, compared to only 10% of other companies…READ ON

Globalisation means greater business school collaboration

Business schools need help. They know that they must train leaders who can thrive in today’s increasingly interconnected and complex business environment, yet for all the talk of being “global” and “international”, when teaching students how to best operate in such a world schools struggle to go beyond scratching the surface…READ ON

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s Collaboration Game: Can He Drive Innovation Growth?

Can Microsoft’s Warriors Collaborate? While innovations from Xbox, Kinect, Office 365, and Microsoft’s cloud business offer hope that the company’s innovation DNA is not totally gone, the next great Microsoft creation seems far off. How can Nadella change the game? In part, Nadella’s answer lies in moving Microsoft from a warrior culture to a collaborative, knowledge-driven culture. Nadella’s email to employees on his very first day as CEO offers clues as to how he sees the connection between innovation and collaboration…READ ON

Turnbull backs Telstra’s NICTA collaboration

Telstra is pursuing collaborative projects with a number of research institutes through which it aims to create solutions for network, security, and privacy. The telecommunications provider will work with National ICT Australia (NICTA) across network planning and future media delivery, as well as security and privacy. The former piece concerns the assessment of network demand to inform the telco’s overall network strategy and investment approach, while the latter intends to influence future services which provide customers with control over data usage…READ ON

Collaborating for the Competitive Advantage in the Market of Social Innovation

“Collaboration is the New Competition”, Ben Hecht, the President and CEO of Living Cities, says in his Harvard Business Review blog. Especially in the field of social businesses, cooperation and collaboration have been credited ethos for solving complex social problems. In my capacity as a research fellow at Surge, I have the privilege to interface with different social organizations, catalyst intermediaries, funders, academics and the government in Taiwan…READ ON

Oscar Berg: ‘Collaboration Pyramid’ Holds the Secret of High Impact Social Business

When Oscar Berg conceived the idea of a “collaboration pyramid,” he did exactly what you would expect a social business expert to do. He shared the basic concept for the pyramid on his blog — so he could refine and improve it through input and feedback from his readers. That’s the value of collaboration, he explained. By sharing information and ideas, good ideas can become even better…READ ON

…and now for something completely different…

Abolish the Week!

It’s unnatural. It’s unnecessary. Why the seven-day week has got to go…READ ON

Illustration by James Emmerman