Enterprise Collaboration Requires Critical New Skills

By Deb Lavoy (@deb_lavoy) Mar 8, 2011

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The way we currently think of working was formed by a command and control, industrial age of process, manufacturing and efficiencies of scale. Collaboration is a different model. It depends on people, not process. It depends on outstanding communication — because collaboration requires thinking and acting together. We are in an age where we have created technology that makes this easier, but we are still evolving our understanding of how best to do it. With this new way of work, comes a new set of critical skills.

What Needs to Change?

The industrial age catapulted us from horse-drawn carriages and agriculture to a magical time of electric lights, central heating, travel, effective medicine and consumer goods. It led to the digital age, which will (IMHO) rapidly gave way to the second enlightenment. An age where we are learning so fast that there is no meaningful difference between learning and acting. (John Seely-Brown calls this the Age of Constant Flux, and I so love it). It is an exuberant time — even for those of us who can't possibly claim membership in Gen Y or Z.

The power of process and command and control mechanisms work well for well-defined, stable environments — but when we're in a time where the pace of change and complexity are constantly accelerating. Those mechanisms and ideas need to be supplemented by new mechanisms that are as fluid and evolving as the context of our times.

The democratization of data and expression through social media has unlocked a fluid exchange of ideas, exploration and communication. It gives us a way to be vastly more creative — makers of things, rather than passive observers and users. We can learn nearly as fast as we can think and act.

The dynamics behind this will change our lives — constantly. We'll see it at home, at school and very much at work.

As a result, organizations are transforming ever rapidly from institutions where people support processes and technologies, to one where processes and technologies support people. People are, authentically now, the actual value of and infrastructure of the organization. We solve problems by bringing the right people to them at the right time. The cross-functional team is now such a fixture in our workplace that we forget that 10 years ago it was a big deal. The idea that a team is not defined by a specific organizational structure is finally so accepted a truth that it hardly stands mentioning now. We know that differing perspectives, give and take, mutual analysis and common understanding leads to better, faster learning — which means better, faster outcomes.

Collaborative Skills, Up Close and At Scale

But as our concept of team moves from a predefined structure to a "swarm," the way we interact personally with each other, within teams, among teams and the role of management is changing in fundamental ways. New values and new skills are needed to flourish in this fluid environment.

1. Individuals

Individuals need to learn that perfection is not what is required. What is required is commitment, self confidence, integrity, curiosity, humility and an ability to maintain perspective and learn. It's not that easy. But it is a lot more pleasant than attempting to be perfect and invulnerable. Our ability to cultivate and exercise our curiosity is radically enhanced in the digital age. Our ability to see ourselves as makers rather than passive consumers is essential to understanding the impact we can and must have on our work, our families and our communities. When you meet someone with these qualities they are the ones you want on your team.

Key Skills: Curiosity with humility.

2. Small Groups of 2 to 5 People

A well-composed team of just a few deeply committed and compatible people is a thing of true beauty. This team mutually inspires and is capable of astounding levels of productivity, insight and innovation. A small group of people can work passionately together. Or not. Evidence suggests that their effectiveness has less to do with the native intelligence of the individuals than how well they communicate with one another. This is a triumph of intimacy of mind. John Seely-brown used my now favorite phrase — "Marinating together in the problem space." Think of the Apollo 13 ground crew, The Beatles, the Group of Seven. Keith Yamashita speaks with startling beauty on the subject he calls "Daring to be Great." He focuses on duos, but something similar holds true in these slightly larger groups. Another great article in praise of "duoships" is here.