One of the biggest clichés in business is that ‘collaboration is a buzzword’. What lies behind this almost mantra-like statement is an uncomfortable truth about collaboration: it is not something that comes with a simple set of rules and it can fail miserably when done half-heartedly. However, we […]
Business strategists have been advising businesses to take collaboration seriously for years. Early doubts, based on old school ideas that competition and collaboration do not mix, have been proven to be of limited use in an era where innovation and business growth is not easy without the exchange […]
The notion of collaboration as a competitive business strategy has been around for some time. In some sectors it works better than others, but the overall impact on high performing enterprises that look for every bit of advantage they can add to their competitiveness has been demonstrated many […]
Businesses can’t really function without collaboration. To do it well and avoid the pitfalls of costly mistakes that happen with too much enthusiasm and not enough planning, collaborating teams need a lot of help. Sometimes knowing which tools to use is all that is needed for successful collaboration. […]
“Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups of selfish individuals.” This is a famous insight by legendary American biologist E.O. Wilson which may likewise form the baseline of a good collaboration […]
People in the contemporary workplace (read: high performing, highly motivated, competitive and resilient) expect to be given three things: meaningful work, appropriate reward and ample opportunities to collaborate. That last bit often gets neglected by executive decision makers, who in many instances ascended to those positions via old […]
Every now and then collaboration can be frustrating. Invariably it gets people wondering if it is worth the effort and in particular if collaboration is really possible given that humans are prone to both competition and collaboration. How to reconcile the drivers? In my first book (The Collaboration […]
