In case you hadn’t noticed, 2014 was marked by an increase in media coverage of collaboration practices. The tone of the messages was very positive and encouraging as we saw a lot more commentary, analysis and studies proving that collaboration is on the increase. The investment in collaboration focused technologies is a significant indicator as is the demand by businesses who are clearly in the know. The link between productivity, competition, innovation, business resilience and collaboration is made more apparent as we recognise that disruptive environments are also full of opportunities. Some of the articles selected for this week’s recommended reading speak to that.

Sincere thanks to those who have suggested articles for this edition of Roadmender Recommends.

2015 Collaboration Trends That Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know

Image credit: Nick Wheeler | Flickr

No entrepreneur is an island. None of us finds success without a little help from those around us. Effective collaboration is paramount for business success, whether starting your first business or your fifth. A recent ebook featuring industry experts and analysts commissioned by my company, PGi, explored the 2015 trends in technology and collaboration that it believes will have the most impact on businesses around the world…READ ON

Successful organizations run on collaboration

International Data Group (IDG) conducted a global survey of over 1,000 company leaders on unified communications and collaboration. Two projects ranked at the top: enabling innovation with technology, and improving the management of workflows and workloads. Objectives focused on cost cutting, efficiency, productivity increases, and external satisfaction. Both internal and external collaboration were viewed as highly important to achieving desired business outcomes…READ ON

Small businesses: collaboration not competition

Collaborating with other businesses can help to move your sector forward. Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Businesses don’t exist in isolation; every SME is part of a wider industry and economy. However, it is all too easy as business owners to become blinkered and inward looking as we face the daily tasks and challenges that running a business presents. In doing so, it is possible that we are inadvertently stifling our own potential and missing opportunities, so it is important to remind ourselves that that we all have the opportunity to look outwards and seek collaboration…READ ON

10 Predictions for Enterprise Collaboration in 2015

As social business continues to mature, companies are realizing the many bottom line benefits that enterprise social networks can deliver, including bridging organizational silos and improving workflow and collaboration. Looking ahead to 2015, here are ten predictions for how emerging social business trends will shape the way employees, customers and partners connect, work and collaborate with each other…READ ON

Understanding People to Improve Collaboration in Teams

Teams consist of individuals working together. Individuals have their own specific beliefs and perceptions. If you know where a person’s perceptions are coming from, you can better understand why they see things different than you do and behave in a certain way. Being able to understand people helps to find better ways to collaborate and communicate in teams. The Insights Discovery system can be used to understand individual behavior. Jo Krill from Insights Benelux facilitated a workshop at Dare Festival Antwerp 2014 where he explained the system and did a couple of exercises with teams…READ ON

Huddle raises another $51 million for business collaboration

The British software company tripled its business with large corporate clients during the first nine months of 2014—and closed seven of its 10 biggest contracts ever. British-born collaboration software company Huddle has secured $51 million in Series D financing. The deal more than doubles its previous backing and will be split between expansion efforts for its sales, marketing and engineering teams, according to co-founder Andy McLoughlin…READ ON

Collaboration makes circus experience close-up and intimate

Performer Spenser Inwood of Circus Oz on the aerial ring. Photo: Wayne Taylor

Australian circus outfit Acrobat came to prominence in the mid-1990s with an “anti-aesthetic” that stripped circus back to a raw form free from decoration and embellishment. The company is among our most sought-after on the international touring circuit, but co-founder Jo-Ann Lancaster sounds surprised when we begin our conversation. “You’ve actually heard of us?” By contrast, there are probably few Australians who haven’t heard of Circus Oz. The two companies seem worlds apart – Circus Oz is a theatrical juggernaut known for its big-top extravaganzas, while Acrobat is an austere response to the spectacle of entertainment and the emptiness of consumer society…READ ON

Collaboration-palooza

Collaboration is a hot concept in the nonprofit world that finds itself at the heart of ideas like collective impact and transformative scale. The various forms of collaboration—associations, joint programs, shared support functions, and mergers—are all means to grow impact, be it through lowering costs, increasing the scope and scale of programs, or strengthening organizations’ ability to advocate for their cause…READ ON

…and now for something completely different…

8 Things Successful People Do And Why They Work [Infographic]

Success is different for every person, but when it comes to business, there are several layers of success you can accomplish. Successful people are sometimes idolized and copied, but it’s by finding your own way that you will join the prestigious club of the most successful people. I get a lot of comments on social media regarding success, and how it’s not all about money, and I agree with that, but success should be analysed no matter how shallow it may seem…READ ON