You Have Been Asked to Run a Complex Collaboration Project... Now What?

Updated on 25 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

Your boss has just asked you to run a complex collaboration project.  The task will address some mission-critical problems or opportunities for your enterprise.  To accomplish the goal you will need to work with a large number of widely diverse people -- crossing many time zones and too many miles to meet face-to-face, embracing several different cultures and first languages, and crossing organizational and even company boundaries.  You have a great reputation for leading teams, but most of that work has been with people in the same building.  What do you do?

Click to read more ...

Furthering the Case for Using Graphics

We got some good reactions from the post last month Use Visuals to Improve Collaboration Effectiveness, and want to offer more thoughts on this topic.  Part of the inspiration was Dan Roam's book The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures.  

Since then we have had some good experiences in our work trying to use more visuals and graphics in our meetings with colleagues and clients.  We also have had a lively debate on the topic of crossing cultural barriers with collaboration, including the post Cultural Assumptions and Challenges, for which using graphics is one effective way to build bridges.

In this vein, we want to share a video of Dan Roam's description of his book...

...as well as a video of one of his presentations to IFVP where he demonstrates how enterprises use graphics to solve real business problems...

IFVP 2010 Keynote: Dan Roam (part 1) from Alphachimp Studio Inc. on Vimeo.

Note that this goes beyond saying for you to use more Powerpoint, as humorously and effectively lampooned in this video.

Update on 25 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

See Related Posts:

• Use Visuals to Improve Collaboration Effectiveness
• The 4Ps of Effective Collaboration - Redux
• Does Your Team Collaborate Like It's 1990?
• Innovation Through Collaboration

The 4Ps of Effective Collaboration - Redux

It has been about a year since we wrote about the 4Ps framework for effective collaboration.  Since then we have found this to be a useful and robust perspective.  So often we see that good results come from the proper balancing of the Purpose, People, Process, and Place (including tools) for each collaboration project. 

We will continue to apply this framework and, in the meantime, thought it valuable to revisit it with a richer media presentation.  The following is a video presentation of The 4 Ps of Effective Collaboration.  Please share your comments, experiences, and reactions below in the comments section.

Update on 25 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

See Related Posts:

• You Have Been Asked to Run a Complex Collaboration Project... Now What?
• Assessing the State of Collaboration: Return to Essentials
• Managing Complexity in Collaboration Demands Rigor
• How’s your collaboration effort going?
• Articulate the Purpose of Your Collaboration Effort!
• Current Practices in Virtual Team Management
• Collaboration Is More than Team Building and Management
• Managing Virtual Teams
• The What and Why of Enterprise 2.0



Creativity as a Process That We can Learn

Updated on 25 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

“Creativity is an operational idea. You can plan for it and make it happen. Systematically!” Says Sir Ken Robinson in his wonderful short talk on Collaboration in the 21st Century. In so doing, innovation becomes a habit, and systematic. Imagination is the key to being creative. But, one has to create something to be creative. Creativity is a step on from imagination; in a way, applied imagination. And, collaboration is a key operating principle in the 21st century.

Click to read more ...

Managing Complexity in Collaboration Demands Rigor

Collaboration is nothing new, as we know. Trends in collaboration are increasing its significance in organizations. This promise of collaboration is also creating significantly increased complexity. Such is the potential and “curse” of collaboration. We begin by outlining the trends propelling collaboration and the sources of complexity in collaboration. We then use our holistic 4 Ps Model of Effective Collaboration, to ensure that we address the challenge of managing complexity in collaboration holistically as well.

Click to read more ...