The ALL ONE (TAO) of Collaboration

Achieving collaboration is synchronization or struggle – and everything in between – between the ALL (the collective, or the organization, or the enabler) and the ONE (the individual, or the enabled). This synchronization or struggle stems from the organization collaboration culture which may be weak or strong, in which the individual performs with personal motivation for collaboration that itself may be weak or strong. Collaboration nirvana happens when the ALL and the ONE - the enabler and the enabled - are aligned strongly on collaboration efforts.

Collaboration is emerging as a strategic initiative for organizations of all sizes. We noted in an earlier post that according to the 2009 CIO survey by Gartner, collaboration technologies ranked 5^th on technology priority for CIOs. Ahead of collaboration technologies are: business intelligence, enterprise applications, server and storage technologies, and legacy application modernization. Top business priorities are business process improvement and reducing enterprise costs. Investment in collaborative technologies clearly indicates that organizations wish to achieve their business priorities through increased and effective collaboration.

We recognize that collaboration is about people, and not technology. In one of the first comprehensive studies, according to Cisco, it found that personal attitudes towards collaboration and company collaborative culture are as important as collaborative tools. We have a somewhat different interpretation of the framework presented in this study on the collaborative relationship between the organization and the individual.

We offer The ALL ONE (TAO) of collaboration construct to address how organizations can reach collaborative success.

 

Motivation factors for the ONE are many: habits, attitude, expectations, experiences, incentive system, training, trust of peers or technology, and so on. Collaborative culture of ALL includes: leadership, expectations, training, support, encouragement, incentives, role-modeling, and so on.

ALL Strong, ONE Strong.  Congratulations if you and your organization have reached the Collaboration Nirvana! Cultivate the state of nirvana, and capitalize on emerging collaboration frontier.

ALL Weak, ONE Strong.  When the ONE is strongly motivated for collaboration in a weak collaboration culture of the ALL, the organization must grab the green shoots of collaboration. Nurture such individuals and the culture of collaboration by providing leadership, introducing new and appropriate collaboration tools, conducting pilots, showcasing successes and troubleshooting failure, instituting a reward system for collaborative efforts, and creating collaboration ambassadors. And, begin a long journey of cultural transformation! Otherwise, the green shoots would die as the ONE and the ALL would be organizational misfit and the ONE would either leave the organization or remain as an unhappy contributor.

ALL Strong, ONE Weak.  Misfit of another kind occurs when the ONE with weak motivation for collaboration finds oneself in a strong collaborative culture of the ALL. The challenge here is obviously of a different kind from the above. The organization has to find the causes of weak motivation of the ONE and institute remedies with clear expectations. Causes could be many; for example, lack of training, fear of technology and tools, lack of trust in peers, comfort in status-quo and resistance to change, poor incentive system, past bad experiences, and so on. We also must keep in mind however that the ONE may find greater happiness in another organization that is a better fit.

ALL Weak, ONE Weak.  The least developed and most challenging is the situation where the ONE with weak motivation is among the ALL with weak collaboration culture. The challenge is indeed enormous but not insurmountable. Leaders in the organization must seek potential among individuals who can be motivated, with a concerted effort, even if it requires outside help. Also, they must consider whether bringing new, highly motivated individuals for collaboration and with collaboration experience can be brought into the organization. Stages of transformation go from Start, to Nurture, to Cultivate. The Reinforce stage may arrive considerably later.

Organizational Challenges and Measuring Collaboration provide additional insights into this topic.

Update on 26 November 2010 by Lokesh Datta

In Collaboration = Cooperative Behavior + Assertive Behavior, we discuss individual behaviors that promote effective collaboration. This model suggests that collaboration happens at the intersection of Cooperative and Assertive behaviors.

Effective Collaboration Is More than Deliverables proposes that that effective collaboration is more that the deliverables for an individual effort, in the context of creating a culture of collaboration.

Update on 24 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

See Related Posts:

• Enthusiasts to Laggards
• Collaboration Is About People, Not Technology
• "Collaborative" as Key Job Skill
• The Four Ps of Effective Collaboration
• The 4Ps of Effective Collaboration - Redux
• Collaboration = Cooperative Behavior + Assertive Behavior
• Measuring Collaboration Behavior
• If You Can’t Pass the Ball, You Can’t play!
• Mind the “Collaboration Trap”
• What We Can Do to Improve Collaboration
• Effective Collaboration Is More than Deliverables
• Do you hear me now: Leaders, Collaborators and Tool Makers

Comments

[kare anderson]

An impressive model.
We are motivated internally/intrinsically (per Dan Pink and many others insights) and externally - the actual carrots and sticks of the company culture - as compared to what is said by a company but not true in action.

If we feel a strong pull on both counts it is MUCH more likely that there will be more synchronization than struggle

As well, if a company supports explicit, emergent training on exactly how to collaborate - the right method and steps for the situation - then it is considerably more likely to migrate the whole biz over to a more collaborative culture.

In brief, what "nurture" means in words and action, for example, has a huge impact on what we do at work.

[Lokesh Datta]

Thanks Kare, for your kind and insightful remarks.

I did listen to your interview and got a better appreciation of your thinking and approach. Your ideas on communicating effectively/vividly are powerful. I can see them in action here in your comments. I really like the way you put it: If we feel a strong pull on both counts [the One and the All] it is MUCH more likely that there will be more synchronization than struggle.

I would love to explore areas/topics where we can collaborate and put our ideas into action.

Regards, Lokesh