2018 saw collaboration as a business strategy march towards mainstream practice. The proliferation of new research and material on the subject of collaboration is a clear indication that the value of good collaboration is a major ingredient of a sustainable and resilient business. This latest selection of recommended reading offers some food for thought on how to enter 2019 with the right attitude.

Why you should completely change the way you view collaboration

We’ve all heard the famous proverb “alone you can go fast, together you can go far.” Yet, so often, we find ourselves feeling competitive when confronted with someone doing the same work as us, or when seeking our boss’s attention for a promotion. A competitive mind-set locks you into feeling distrustful of others, secretive, and closed off.

Fear that there isn’t enough success to go around, or fear that someone else’s success means we are doing worse, forces us into a place of competition rather than opening the doors to collaboration. Business coach Cait Scudder says this competitive mind-set can hold you back from achieving the success that you desire.

If you’re fearful to share your opinion because you’re worried someone else will steal your idea, for example, you may never allow that idea to flourish. Similarly, being fearful of collaborating with someone else for fear that elevating their name will mean your name will become…READ ON

What If We Used Collaboration Tools to Rethink How We Work?

Chat is hardly a new idea. But the digitization of conversation-driven collaboration into “ChatOps” — where the chat interface becomes the focal point for applying discussion and automation to getting things done — is a world away from simple instant messaging. It is no wonder then that we treat these collaboration tools as something revolutionary for the digital workplace. Microsoft Teams and Slack are probably the most discussed of the rivals, although plenty more services follow a similar collaborative pattern…READ ON

The secret of successful teamwork: Forgiveness

Those three simple words define a successful team, according to LinkedIn’s co-founder.

“We are allies” is more than a motivational team motto — it’s a reminder of the need for a true partnership. Each team member is autonomous — everyone voluntarily comes together to work towards a shared ambition. But what happens when resentment takes over?

That’s the problem when one teammate bears a grudge against another — a small incident quickly escalates and tears the team apart. Unforgiveness drives toxicity — it turns team members into foes…READ ON

Effective healthcare must come through collaboration

A recent letter to the editor described how non-locally based health practices will have a negative economic impact in Oneida. As the Founder and President of WellNow Urgent Care (formerly Five Star Urgent Care) – a new Oneida community member – I want to respond. I agree with the author that community hospitals provide important services and face unprecedented financial challenges. Overcrowded emergency departments with higher costs and longer waits have led to an increased number of urgent care centers to provide more timely, affordable care.

However, the healthcare solution for this, or any, community isn’t exclusivity. It is collaboration and transparency that empowers patients to make the choices best for them…READ ON

Security Think Tank: Put collaboration on 2019 security agenda

One of the Information Security Forum’s (ISF) flagship products is the annual Threat Horizon report, which identifies information security threats emerging in the next two to three years. Intended for senior business executives and information security professionals alike, Threat Horizon pushes the limits of thinking to help organisations take a proactive, strategic approach to managing risk and planning for worst-case scenarios….READ ON