It's no secret that collaboration helps in the formation of good ideas, but this charming little video from writer Steven Johnson explains why it works.
This blog aims to be a resource for leaders at all levels and locations that want to improve dispersed team effectiveness. Our focus is learning to work together in ways that turn distance and difference into strengths.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How to Invite Multiple Perspectives
When we come together to accomplish important work, the pressures of the workload and time often inhibit us from opening to differences—of perspective, opinion, or thinking. It is natural to try to avoid arguments or disagreements, and often we think that conflict will occur if we ask people to share what they really think.
In our efforts to get stuff done and avoid conflict, we miss opportunities to expand possibilities and increase our abilities to work with complexity. Inviting in multiple perspectives helps us deal with complexity, and it is not as hard as we think.
Here are some tips for leaders to welcome multiple perspectives:
1. Listen to others before giving your opinion. Sit back and listen rather than talking, even (especially) when you want to charge ahead and decide for the group.
2. If someone states a strong point of view, ask, “Who sees it differently?” and ask the person with an alternative perspective to share their view.
3. Listen, listen, listen. Encourage others to listen.
4. Reflect back the different points of view; synthesize the different perspectives for the group
5. Ask, “What have we missed?”
6. Wait for someone to answer the question, and listen again.
7. Surprisingly, when we need to make a decision, we have more valuable possibilities for action.
This may seem confusing, but actually when all the perspectives are welcomed, the best action emerges in collective thinking that is much more powerful than individual thinking.
We need to learn how to expand possibilities to deal with the complexities of our situation. Things are less predictable, more complicated. When we put our heads together, we are smarter together than we are individually.
In our efforts to get stuff done and avoid conflict, we miss opportunities to expand possibilities and increase our abilities to work with complexity. Inviting in multiple perspectives helps us deal with complexity, and it is not as hard as we think.
Here are some tips for leaders to welcome multiple perspectives:
1. Listen to others before giving your opinion. Sit back and listen rather than talking, even (especially) when you want to charge ahead and decide for the group.
2. If someone states a strong point of view, ask, “Who sees it differently?” and ask the person with an alternative perspective to share their view.
3. Listen, listen, listen. Encourage others to listen.
4. Reflect back the different points of view; synthesize the different perspectives for the group
5. Ask, “What have we missed?”
6. Wait for someone to answer the question, and listen again.
7. Surprisingly, when we need to make a decision, we have more valuable possibilities for action.
This may seem confusing, but actually when all the perspectives are welcomed, the best action emerges in collective thinking that is much more powerful than individual thinking.
We need to learn how to expand possibilities to deal with the complexities of our situation. Things are less predictable, more complicated. When we put our heads together, we are smarter together than we are individually.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Leader as Collaboration Catalyst
Leaders can be catalysts for change because they can help bring people together to create new ways of working. Leadership that fosters a collaborative culture helps an organization interact and interconnect in more productive and mutually-beneficial ways. By igniting collaborative capital, working relationships can flourish with creativity, innovation, and effective action.
Our situation is increasingly complex: economically, socially, environmentally. Methods that worked in the past don’t bring predictable results. According to a study on leadership conducted by IBM, in which IBM interviewed over 1500 CEOs, leaders feel unsure about how to deal with this complexity. Creativity is needed, as well as dexterity and the ability to develop new kinds of relationships with customers. (IBM’s study is very interesting: find it here: ibm.com/CEOStudy)
From my perspective, building new relationships with customers is not enough. Leaders need to put forward additional effort to foster connections with employees, partners, vendors, local and global communities. Thoughtful cultivation of relationships is crucial for future organizational success. By building relationships that are committed to integrity, focused on mutual support and on providing timely and accurate information flows, collaboration becomes possible. The power of relationships enables effective and aligned action.
By improving how well people work together, leaders enable their organizations to move beyond the status quo and co-create a mutually sustainable environment for work and community. The role of collaboration catalyst is a role we all need to play. Instead of isolating ourselves, we need to remember our interconnections and interdependence with each other and our world.
We limit ourselves by believing there is one answer or one solution. With an open invitation to other perspectives and a willingness to be changed by others, today's leaders can adapt to the complexities of our society and collaboratively develop creative responses and actions.
Our situation is increasingly complex: economically, socially, environmentally. Methods that worked in the past don’t bring predictable results. According to a study on leadership conducted by IBM, in which IBM interviewed over 1500 CEOs, leaders feel unsure about how to deal with this complexity. Creativity is needed, as well as dexterity and the ability to develop new kinds of relationships with customers. (IBM’s study is very interesting: find it here: ibm.com/CEOStudy)
From my perspective, building new relationships with customers is not enough. Leaders need to put forward additional effort to foster connections with employees, partners, vendors, local and global communities. Thoughtful cultivation of relationships is crucial for future organizational success. By building relationships that are committed to integrity, focused on mutual support and on providing timely and accurate information flows, collaboration becomes possible. The power of relationships enables effective and aligned action.
By improving how well people work together, leaders enable their organizations to move beyond the status quo and co-create a mutually sustainable environment for work and community. The role of collaboration catalyst is a role we all need to play. Instead of isolating ourselves, we need to remember our interconnections and interdependence with each other and our world.
We limit ourselves by believing there is one answer or one solution. With an open invitation to other perspectives and a willingness to be changed by others, today's leaders can adapt to the complexities of our society and collaboratively develop creative responses and actions.
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