Collaboration Ops

I have the opportunity to work with a client on developing some new processes, better processes and uniformed processes for a development team.  It occured to me as we were talking that this is the perfect opportunity for facilitation and collaboration.  The beginning of any collaborative, unified effort is determining:

• who does what
• what are the pain points
• when should it happen
• where do we document this or do this 
• why do we do it this way
• how can it be better 

It is the old who, what, when, where, why and how.  It does not matter if you are looking to write a manual, improve a process, implement SharePoint or a wiki, these questions have to be answered at the beginning of the project and they need to be visited over and over again.  Without knowing the who, what, when, where, why and how, it doesn’t matter how much money, technology or effort you throw at something it will only be like a bandaid on a hemoraging wound.  Creating a real solution, starts with people–people with a need and LISTENING first, then creating a solution!  Happy Collaborating!