The 5 Must-Avoid Collaboration MistakesPBworks

What I believe

• Collaboration can make the world a better place

• This idea is not enough for executives

• Need a focus on business value:– The Collaborative Organization

• Shift from an idea to an action

What is Collaboration?

• Collaboration isn’t new, it’s been around for many years

• All about two or more people working together to create something or achieve a goal

• Technology and culture have changed

Collaboration has evolved

• Scale• Transparency• Digital• Breadth and depth• No boundaries• Truly collaborative• Empowered

employees• Dynamic

• Digital• With boundaries• Not at scale• Poor depth and

breadth• Small

groups/individual• Static

• Nobody even remembers

Some common collaboration problems

• Hard to find people and information

• Too much time spent in email

• Cross-boundary communication/collaboration

• Duplication of content

• Department and organizational alignment

• Making work more efficient

• Improving employee engagement

• Improved quality of life

What are the top business drivers?

Taken from the State of Enterprise 2.0 Collaboration Report from Chess Media Group

The big mistakes

Lack of supportive culture

Not listening to voice of employee

Assuming employees will use tools

No executive support

Technology before strategy

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Lack of supportive culture

• Can’t say you want to be collaborative if:– Focus on individual performance

– Over emphasis on competition

– Lack of trust within company

– Inability to be flexible

– The focus of value is on the enterprise and not on people

– No willing to be more transparent

1

Not listening to voice of employee

• Employees can tell you a lot!– Be prepared for ideas, suggestions, input

– Listen to employee feedback

– Integrate ideas and suggestions

– Pay attention to “pulse” of the company

– What works and what doesn’t?

2

What percentage of the employee base is actively engaged?

Taken from the State of Enterprise 2.0 Collaboration Report from Chess Media Group

Assuming employees will use tools

• If you build it they will not come

• What is the employee value?

• Education and training

• Integrate into flow of work

• Not another stand-alone tool

• Easy to use and intuitive

• Encourage and evagelize

3

Where does employee resistance come from?

Taken from the State of Enterprise 2.0 Collaboration Report from Chess Media Group

No executive support

• Not just about writing a check

• Having a presence

• Engaging with employees

• Removing barriers to communication

• “Flattening” the organization

4

Technology before strategy

• Many companies struggle with this

• End up changing platforms later– More time and more money

• Understand the why before the how

• Technology is the easier part once you understand what you need

• From use cases you get features

5

How did collaboration occur?

Taken from the State of Enterprise 2.0 Collaboration Report from Chess Media Group

12 Principles of collaboration

1. Individual benefit is just as important as the overall corporate benefit (if not more important)

2. Strategy before technology

3. Listen to the voice of the employee

4. Learn to get out of the way

5. Lead by example

6. Integrate into the flow of work

7. Create a supportive environment

8. Measure what matters

9. Persistence

10. Adapt and evolve

11. Employee collaboration also benefits the customer

12. Collaboration can make the world a better place

Thank you & questionsEmail: Jacob@ChessMediaGroup.comCompany: ChessMediaGroup.comTwitter: @JacobMBlog: SocialBusinessAdvisor.comBook: TheCollaborativeOrganization.com

“…Jacob's book guides leaders on how to develop strategies to build this type of a 'Collaborative Organization.‘Vivek Kundra, Former Chief Information Officer of the United States of America

“…Jacob’s book is a valuable strategic guide to help leaders deploy emerging collaboration technologies and strategies to "get there.“-- Jonathan Becher, CMO, SAP