A quick survey of works about collaboration indicates that there has been a fivefold increase in published books every decade over the past 25 odd years.  The clear conclusion is that collaboration is a topic of increasing significance.  The interesting thing is that, as a way of work, collaboration has been growing consistently; yet despite its seeming prevalence in day to day activities we have not come anywhere near the level we are going to see in future.  Collaboration today has become one of the early indicators of good adaptation to the fourth industrial revolution.  Some are embracing it instinctively; others are still working it out.  Nonetheless, both groups may enjoy some of the articles selected for this edition of recommended reading.

Thanks to ROADMENDER readers who have suggested articles for this edition of Roadmender Recommends.

Do You Have a Collaboration Mindset?

Eliminating silos is key to team and organizational success. Yet they continue to exist and, in some cases, dominate an organization’s culture.  Teams and organizations struggling with silos and the silo mindset are limited by how much collaboration they experience. I view the silo mindset as a fixed mindset and the collaboration mindset as a growth mindset, based on the work of Stanford University professor Carol Dweck in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In the book, she makes the distinction between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, showing how mindset affects the way people live their lives. For example, people with a growth mindset possess the kind of perseverance and…READ ON

Collaboration is the new “Pick Your Brain”

As a small business owner, I have come to hate the word “collaborate”. Collaboration has fast risen to the top of super annoying corporate jargon taking over such tried and true buzzwords as “synergies”, “strategic partnership” and “can I pick your brain”.  The ideals behind collaboration are sound and undoubtedly well intentioned. Literally the word means to “work together”, and its popularity reflects a move in workplace culture towards openness and sharing. However, a new iteration of the word’s meaning has emerged. To collaborate has morphed into some form of socially acceptable begging for free marketing services…READ ON

Data Loss Risks Rise In The Age Of Collaboration

Nearly 35% of organizations say 26% to 50% of their employees regularly share files with audiences outside the organization, which has increased concern about losing sensitive corporate data, according to an Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) report. Nearly all (98%) of survey participants report that sensitive data loss is a top or significant concern, and many claim it is likely their business has already lost data via several routes in the last 12 months…READ ON

Collaboration the Hallmarks of Best of New York 2016 Survey Winners

Each year, the Best of New York Awards program, conducted by the Center for Digital Government (CDG)*, acknowledges the best of the best in government and educational IT projects and professionals, and on Friday, Sept. 16 at the New York Digital Government Summit held in Albany, this year’s awardees were made public.  From a financial system overhaul to citizen engagement portals and apps, winners of this year’s survey serve internal and external stakeholders well, proving the dedication and hard work in designing and creating these projects was…READ ON

Collaboration fuels real innovation

What do the new world-class athletic performance research center that Marquette University and Aurora Healthcare will create, the Global Water Center, UW-Milwaukee’s Innovation Campus and the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium’s Energy Innovation Center have in common? They all have at their core a collaborative partnership between universities and corporations. In fact, this collaboration is the fuel driving the economic and innovative potential of these ventures. And the results positively impact our region, creating a beachhead…READ ON

The Circus Inspires A Collaboration Between Two Design Icons

It’s more common to find companies that want to offer consumers a homogenous level of design in the products they market these days, Apple may be the best at it. The thinking is, if you love one, you know what to expect from the rest.  Alessi is an Italian consumer products company founded in 1921 that ignores that philosophy. In its words: “The company has created a dynasty out of not only offering products geared…READ ON

World-first collaboration inspires smarter disaster response

As you step into World Vision’s Innovation Lab, there are dozens of things that might catch your attention. The buzz of a 3D printer whirring in the corner, a giant blackboard decorated with sketches, or the quiet focus of the teams dotted around the room.  What might not catch your gaze is a seemingly simple, yellow pipe fitting resting on a desk. It looks basic enough; a ring made of hard plastic. But it actually symbolises something much bigger, both for communities affected by the Nepal Earthquake and the future of disaster responses around the globe.  This pipe fitting is a new, tailored solution for earthquake-damaged water systems in Nepal. Its creation has been made possible because…READ ON