Collaboration has a challenging problem: it’s appealing for simple tasks but not for strategic long-term goals. The net result is that we have a market for apps and digital tools that ‘facilitate’ collaboration and implicitly lead to all the good things that collaboration produces, including increased productivity, innovation […]
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 […]
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 […]
From time to time businesses conduct strategic audits to ensure they are better aligned for growth or simply, and probably more often, they merely respond to disruption and challenges. Increasingly there is a focus on collaboration, or lack of it as is the most often the case. No […]
Collaboration is not always an exact science. However, it is not really possible without a synthesis of different branches of science. If approached correctly, as a business strategy, then it clearly leads serious planners and managers to consult different elements that require a deeper understanding of things, e.g. […]
There used to be time when collaboration was a smart business strategy only for advanced businesses and well-resourced companies that could afford the risks that came with it. Nowadays collaboration as a business strategy is the mainstay of an increasing number of enterprises across all industries. While good […]
I know of organisations which regularly get a bad rap in the marketplace for being poor at collaboration. In fact I can name a few who actually know they have that standing but are not sure about how to change and improve their track record in collaboration. Being […]
The business world is interesting for a whole host of reasons. How businesses approach collaboration as a strategy is one of them. Why some businesses still struggle and remain unsure about collaboration as a business driver, while others enter into 10 year-long collaborations, is a bit of a […]
Collaboration as a strategic approach to creating value is winning. People are increasingly relying on a collaborative way of working; be it within a business or between businesses across industries. This doesn’t mean that the work of promoting the practice and approach to collaboration should stop though. As […]
Edwin Land, the famous inventor and personal idol of the late Steve Jobs, remarked that ‘politeness is the poison of collaboration’. That is another way of saying that when people collaborate by ‘going along to get along’ they end up missing the whole point of collaboration. That’s not […]
One can never have too much of a good thing. And knowing a good thing when you see it is a good thing in itself. Collaboration with a strategic purpose is a good thing for the willing and those paying attention to the simple fact that businesses are […]
There is never a dull moment in an office when collaboration’s around. We are constantly hearing good news about it; from growth in the collaboration software market as one indicator of the need for better collaboration, to findings which indicate that collaboration really is making business more competitive. […]
There is no shortage of people who say they want to collaborate. Nor is there any shortage of people professing they know how to do it well. The slight problem is that a lot of collaboration talk is ‘over the counter’ grade quality. Collaboration is a genuine business […]
ROADMENDER is pleased to share this recently created infographic produced and supplied by our guest blog contributor Jay Taylor and team from Pearson Education and Villanova University School of Business titled “Creating A Culture of Innovation in Business“. The infographic details why successful companies consider as an integral part […]
A couple of years ago researchers at Berkley published a paper titled “Failure at the Top: How Power Undermines Collaborative Performance” which concluded that when asked to collaborate “groups of high power individuals performed worse because they fought over their relative status in the group, were less focused […]
The growing need for collaboration is expanding the attitude of smart businesses which recognise one simple fact: collaboration is a strategy that can be crafted to work well. Good business solves problems. Complex problems call for collaboration, which invariably adds value to sustainable business. Undertaking collaboration successfully requires […]
The staying power of collaboration as a business strategy is a powerful reminder to business leaders that a truly competitive business can’t really ignore collaboration any more than it can its ICT, Marketing and Comms or HR strategies. Two very commonly observed factors that prevent some from embracing […]
Being committed to trust building is of the utmost importance as it is one factor that will remain vulnerable to the whims of serious complexity. Every good collaborator will tell us that good outcomes come with hard work. Hard work is also about the honesty and integrity that […]
Science Says There’s 1 Thing That Can Make You a Particularly Weak Collaborator Emotional intelligence is simply the act of being aware of emotions. Those with high “EQ” or emotional quotient are aware of not only their emotions but the emotions of others. Those with high EQ can […]
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