buiilding and supporting a collaborative workplace
TRANSCRIPT
!Building and Supporting
a Collaborative Workplace!
Robin Schooling, SPHR, SHRM-SCP!
NetConnect 2015!
!strategy!
!
!execution!
!
photo credit: Getty Images George Marks!Roger L. Martin!
!strategy!
!
!execution!
!
–Hutch Carpenter
“Building toward a defined outcome
through the interactions and input of multiple people”
work!
let’s talk about…
• the why, what and when of collaboration
• why culture matters
• barriers to collaboration
• working smarter, not harder
the why, what, and when of collaboration!
why should we care?
• cost savings through the transfer of best practices
• better decision making as a result of advice obtained from others
• increased revenue through the sharing of expertise
• innovation through the combination and cross-pollination of ideas
• enhanced capacity for collective action that involves dispersed units/functions
Morten T. Hansen
BAM!!
Team
photo credit: Jay Ducote!
Community
Network
how do these groups form?!
Hutch Carpenter: CMS Wire!
similarity...proximity...familiarity!
new partners
• forming of teams may be “on-the-fly”
• teams formed to solve problems or “tackle ideas”
• intrinsic motivation
• contribution by ALL
• less chance of redundancy
challengers!
–Hutch Carpenter
“Building toward a defined outcome
through the interactions and input of multiple people”
collaboration by disagreement!
–Apple
“innovation and creativity require freedom, disagreement, and perhaps even a little chaos.”
disagreement is good…
• simplify
• focus on where idea is “wrong”
• understand risks
• bring problems to the surface
• rivalry —-> best ideas
why culture matters!
what’s under the surface?!
so...how does stuff REALLY
get done?!
ask the questions...!
relay race or rugby match?
photo credit: Flickr Sangudo
relationship oriented or task oriented?
do leaders exhibit relationship behaviors?
culture of collaboration
we may fall when…
our environment is designed for competition and independence
we launch ambitious projects in an unreceptive environment
we underestimate the costs
we misdiagnose the problem...
...and implement the wrong solutions
disciplined collaboration!
“the leadership practice of properly assessing when to collaborate (and when not to) and instilling in
people both the willingness and the ability
to collaborate when required”
!
!
Morten T. Hansen!
never lose sight of the goal!
• select when collaboration is appropriate
• understand the barriers that currently prevent employees from collaborating
• design management solutions to tear down those barriers
breaking down the barriers!
silos belong on a farm
barriers to collaboration!motivational barriers
ability barriers
search transfer
“not invented here” hoarding
the ‘not-invented-here’ barrier
• unwilling to reach out to others
• communication stays within group
• protection of self-interests
• status gaps and pride
• self-reliance
the ‘not-invented-here’ barrier
recruit and hire people with inclination/
confidence to ask for help
!
the hoarding barrier
• competitive relationships
• fear of losing power
• “it takes too much time”
• rewarding people only for their work…and not for helping others
the hoarding barrier!
consider a 360-degree review process that
captures demonstration of individual
performance and contributions to others/
willingness to help
the search barrier
• people cannot find information…or resources/people…that can help them
• too much information
• insufficient networks
• limited ‘personal’ connecting
the search barrier
!
identify and cultivate “connectors”
the transfer barrier
• cannot pass on tacit knowledge
• lack of trust
• lack of respect
• lack of … friendship
the transfer barrier
!
eliminate the ‘stranger’ problem; provide job
rotation and temporary assignments
barriers to collaboration!motivational barriers
ability barriers
search transfer
“not invented here” hoarding
don’t start at wrong end…
“the leadership practice of properly assessing when to collaborate (and when not to) and instilling in people
both the willingness and the ability to collaborate when required”
remember...!
motivational barrier
ability barrier
make people WILLING to collaborate!
enable motivated people to collaborate!throughout the organization!
the ‘pyramid effect’
watch out for...!
over collaboration
watch out for...!
heritage relationships
watch out for...!
when do you say “yes” to collaboration?!
when do you say “no”?!
does value exceed cost?!
• opportunity costs
• foregoing other projects
• collaboration costs
• delays, budget overruns, lost sales or poor quality
• better innovation
• new business development or cross unit product development
• better sales
• cross selling or enhanced customer service w/ results
• better operations
• transfer of best practices or making better decisions
value cost
work smarter, not harder!
model collaborative behavior
photo credit: Zimbio
train in skills related to collaborative behavior
HR programs that reward collaboration
photo credit: Zimbio
enable and encourage connections!
tools -> value creation through collaboration
top down AND bottom up
we now know...
• the why, what and when of collaboration
• why culture matters
• barriers to collaboration
• working smarter, not harder
photo credit: Getty Images George Marks!Roger L. Martin!
“Building toward a defined
outcome through the interactions and input of
multiple people”
no more
choiceless doers!
!strategy!
!
!execution!
!
this IS your circus and these ARE your monkeys!
Thank You!
@RobinSchooling!
RobinSchooling.com!
linkedin.com/in/robinschooling!
let’s connect!
resources!Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Build Common Ground, and Reap Big Results, Morten Hansen!
The Culture of Collaboration, Evan Rosen !
The Execution Trap, Roger L. Martin (Harvard Business Review)!
Eight Ways to Build Collaborative Teams, Lynda Gratton and Tamara J. Erickson (Harvard Business Review)!
Leadership Conversations: Challenging High-Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders, Alan S. Berson/Richard G. Stieglitz !
3 Cs of Innovation 2.0 - Crowdsourcing, Competition, Collaboration, Hutch Carpenter!