There is a shift afoot: a shift in the way we glean knowledge and insight that is very different from that used by previous generations of managers, executives and leaders. Two decades ago, the gold standard of learning would have been referenced against an MBA from a prestigious […]
Almost every business discussion, irrespective of the industry or sector, seems to centre on financial return, strategy, marketing and the like. Basically the stuff we tend to feel comfortable with – the real ‘business’ factors. It is rare that conversation focuses on things like elegance. In fact, elegance, […]
Theoretically, the longest chess game possible involves 5,949 moves. That implies a lot of combinations. But I wonder how many combinations are possible in business collaboration. In my experience I think collaboration would give chess a run for its money. We should not be surprised at that possibility […]
I am never sure if the popularity of the term ‘collaboration’ makes it better understood, or if it actually creates an illusion that collaboration is something that is easy to understand and do. Results clearly tell us that collaboration is still a hit and miss affair for way […]
What do the following people have in common: John Spencer, Carly Stec, Rachel Botsman, Andre Bourque, Rickard Hansson and Ronald Barba? Answer: They all wrote very interesting pieces on different aspects of collaboration. Being part of the community of collaboration practitioners, ROADMENDER is delighted to share this week’s […]
Enterprising Collaboratives (EC) are one of the models of collaboration created by ROADMENDER. This particular model emerged after years of mixed activities: designing collaborations; facilitating workshops; analysing collaborations, old and new; researching and testing new concepts; innovating; and discussing with like-minded professionals as well those who were new […]
So many things impact on collaboration. It is not always an easy task to keep everything under control but it is critical nevertheless. This week’s selection of recommended reading is a reflection on the diversity of some of the angles from which collaboration can be considered during both […]
Collaboration implies sharing. Sharing of many things is common with the exception of IP. Somehow IP remains out of bounds. And yet, in today’s economy this is precisely what collaboration could be based on. Recently, two automotive giants and competitors Mazda and Toyota entered into a collaborative arrangement […]
When I read that two automotive giants, Toyota and Mazda, are looking to collaborate by sharing their technologies, I thought that it pretty much reflected business norm. But then I reminded myself that in reality collaboration between competitors on such a deep level is not a simple process. […]
There’s one thing that lies at the heart of excellence in almost every human endeavour; the quality of one’s word. Nothing comes close when it comes to collaboration and pretty much a whole raft of other things in life. Things like friendships, partnerships, family, and society and […]
The golf course has always been a great place to discuss business. Now golfers have a good opportunity to talk about collaboration – in golf that is. In this week’s edition of recommended reading, we include an article that explains how the heads of five of the United […]
Let’s face it; we all hate making mistakes. As a matter of fact, we probably fear mistakes a little too much. Collaboration is a near perfect area where mistakes are possible because so much of its process depends on making decisions about the unknown. There is no simple […]
According to a recent report by Deloitte, businesses that ignore collaboration are vastly outperformed by their competition. Only 20% of the ‘we don’t care for collaboration’ type of businesses manage to beat the competition. So the question is, what will business look like in the year 2025? If […]
I was tempted to title this article along the lines of If you need to be managed you probably suck as a collaborator. But, I think that would overstate the point a bit. In principle, I believe in the necessity of management because value creation is complex and […]
Making collaboration easier by using superbly designed technologies is important. But that alone does not constitute a strategy, and without a plan there is no collaboration. Even with all the will in the world, collaboration is not going to work unless the strategy is well thought out and, […]
The workplace is constantly evolving. Some changes are an adaptation to disruptions, others are the evolutionary results of a combination of factors. Collaboration has emerged as a strong contender as a practice that can significantly reduce the stress of adaptation, enhance innovation and make any enterprise more competitive. […]
My first experience in freelancing was some 20 years ago as a photographer. Freelancing was not new then but it certainly was not the best way to make a living. Some professions were always more aligned with the practice of freelancing and for some people that way of […]
Value! Such a simple concept. And yet any discussion about it is bound to get us into all sorts of arguments. I am a big admirer of the principle that looks at business decision-making through value measures; whereby things that do not add value are a waste and […]
Early in my working life I figured out that I would never make an exemplary sales person. My problem is that I am either passionate about an issue or I fall asleep from boredom. So collaboration being in the former category, I do not tire easy. Some of […]
A noted researcher in the field of human creativity, Prof Barry M Staw, once wrote a paper arguing that the majority of people are not actually prepared to do what is needed in order to be prepared. Despite what seems like a universal desire among people to be […]
In the world of music, C major is synonymous with simplicity and it is commonly considered that C major is the best key for beginners. No matter how much we discuss collaboration, it always raises questions that are really basic. This week ROADMENDER’S focus will be on a […]
This is a mini special dedicated to all the entrepreneurial souls who value collaboration. The ongoing fragmentation of the workplace as a mixture of practices is further brought into the spotlight by mounting evidence pointing to the fact that employee engagement is undeniably low, and the cost of […]
Over the years I have learnt that some things really make a difference to collaboration outcomes. A really big difference I should say. Collaboration with colleagues internally or people from other businesses (cross business collaboration) is always dependent on the people factor more than technology or process. Good […]
Have you noticed how often we talk about the possible threat to our jobs as a result of robots and artificial intelligence? Most of this dialogue is often expressed in the context of disruption, and especially digital disruption. We have heard some notable pundits suggest that we may […]
Those were the words uttered by a robot computer in a short, science fiction story by the legendary Isaac Asimov. The storyline is placed in distant 2061, but its relevance is timeless. Regardless of your literary interest, reading Asimov is much more than science fiction. It’s about ideas […]
