COLLABORATION: FUNDAMENTALS OF SUCCESS

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COLLABORATION FUNDAMENTALS OF SUCCESS!

• Facilitator Laura Beach
• LauraBBeach_at_adelphia.net

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Collaboration is Like a Kaleidoscope

• As the kaleidoscope is rotated, different
  configurations of the same collection of colored
  shapes appear. Collaboration involves building a
  common understanding of how these images appear
  from their respective points of view. This
  understanding forms the basis for choosing a
  collective course of action.
• Barbara Gray, Collaboration The Constructive
  Management of Differences

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COLLABORATION

• Think of the very best working group experience
  you have ever had. What was a quality or
  component of that working group that made it such
  a good experience for you?

What makes collaboration successful?
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Characteristics of Successful Collaborations

• Clear shared vision.
• Strong leadership
• Committed for the long run
• Roles are defined
• Needs are communicated
• Support
• Open to change
• No pre-conceived notions

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Characteristics of Successful Collaborations

• Monitor evaluation effectiveness
• Communication is open honest
• Learning is encouraged
• Balance
• Trust

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Common Pitfalls To Collaboration

• Leadership has difficulty sharing
• No detailed assessment of partners
• Overestimating synergies underestimating costs
• Not managing merger syndrome
• Inattention to HR issues
• Failure to train
• Poor communication
• Poor record keeping
• Unclear purpose strategy

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Group Patterns Forming / Orientation Stage

• High expectations anxiety about individual
  roles organizational parameters.

• What To Do
• Plan icebreakers for all group gatherings.
• Clarify expectations and desired group
  outcomes.
• Invite a "ranking official" to provide the
  "charge" to the team.
• Assign roles or procedures for designating
  chair, facilitator, recorder, and process
  observe.

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Group Patterns Storming / Redefinition Phase

• A phase of conflict, as members disagree with one
  another.

• What To Do
• Clarify expectations of behavior among group
  members in and out of meetings.
• Provide training on consensus building and
  conflict resolution.
• Consider a retreat to address the feelings and
  concerns in the group.
• Implement selective abandonment to refocus the
  group.

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Group Patterns - Norming

• Cohesion occurs and procedures begin to emerge.
  Dissatisfaction is replaced by harmony, trust,
  support, and respect. Group members provide
  feedback.

• What To Do
• Invite a critical friend to work with the
  group.
• Monitor and regularly update group norms.
• Plan appropriate celebrations for work
  accomplished.
• Provide additional training on meeting and
  group effectiveness.

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Group Patterns Performing / Highly Productive
Stage

• The group begins to identify implement
  solutions.

• What To Do
• Ensure the group continues to learn together.
• Share leadership and task responsibilities.
• Consider strategies for increasing time
  efficiency.
• Find ways to recognize and promote risk takers.
  

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Group Patterns

• How would you describe the stage of your
  collaborative?
• What kind of communication is occurring in that
  stage?

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Collaborative Groups Have 3 Communication Needs

• Individual Needs
• How will I fit in?
• Group Needs
• How will the group function?
• Task Needs
• What am is the group supposed to do?

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Communication practices that contribute to the
destruction of a group

• GROUPTHINK
• A group can exert enormous pressures on its
  members to adhere to its norms and beliefs in
  extreme cases, these pressures produce groupthink
  or polarization of attitudes to risk which amount
  to distortion of judgment.

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Addressing GroupThink

• For a group to function effectively and smoothly
  there has to be a certain amount of agreement on
  how to do things on the other hand, it is
  important for the group to adapt to changing
  conditions, and change is brought about by
  individuals deviating from the norms.
• M. Argyle (1989) The Social Psychology of Work.

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Communication practices that contribute to the
destruction of a group

• COOPERATION VS. COMPETITION
• Competitive behavior is directed an individuals
  own goals, often at the expense of shared goals.
  It is secretive and unpredictable is defensive
  toward others.
• Cooperative behavior is directed towards shared
  goals. It contributes information and expertise
  openly, is predictable, though not inflexible,
  avoids threats and is supportive towards others.

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Addressing Competition vs. Cooperation

• Clear objectives
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Culture of innovation
• Sufficient skills within group
• Strong leader with a process for overcoming
  barriers

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Communication Practices That Contribute To The
Destruction Of A Group

• Idea Shortages
• A shortage of good ideas points to the need for
  recruiting better personnel to the group, for
  increasing the rewards for creativity or for
  eliminating the penalties especially the social
  penalties for expressing ideas freely.

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Communication practices that contribute to the
destruction of an group

• Lack of Decision Making
• If the group has difficulty making decisions,
  reduce the perceived risks to making mistakes.
• Increase the perceived risk of making no
  decision.

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Make Communication a Strategic Process

• Communicate change in advance
• Be honest, if there is a difficult message to
  communicate. Dont sugarcoat
• Show a genuine concern for individuals
• Know the strengths weaknesses of your
  communication style

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Transform controversy into productivity!

• Diversify groups
• Unite groups in cooperation
• Use inquiry process
• Encourage controversy of ideas
• Develop persistence in the face of failure
• Encourage time for reflection

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Make Communication a Strategic Process

• Treat everyone with respect
• Keep an open mind
• Speak the language of the organization.
• Actively listen to others
• Share openly and honestly

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Make Communication a Strategic Process

• Make it safe for others to communicate
• Contribute
• Agree to disagree.
• Take responsibility
• Monitor yourself
• Have a sense of humor

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COLLABORATION SWOT ANALYSIS

• STRENGTHS
• What do you do well?
• WEAKNESSES
• What could you improve?
• OPPORTUNITIES
• What are the trends that will have the greatest
  impact?
• THREATS
• What challenges are you facing?

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In Summary

• Which practices are contributing to the health of
  your collaborative?
• What practices are destructive in your
  collaborative?
• What is one thing you will try to
  change/implement as a result of what we have
  discussed?

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COLLABORATION FUNDAMENTALS OF SUCCESS!

• Facilitator Laura Beach
• LauraBBeach_at_adelphia.net