My Collaboration Practices

Recently Brett published a post called “My Personal Collaboration Rules”.  I loved the blog, and it made me think about my own collabortion practices and I did a little comparing in the process.

1. Capture Once– I loved that Brett put that first on his rules.  I have said many a time that the technology will not work for you if it doesn’t replace something or make your life easier.  Who wants to touch things twice?  Waste of time it is then!

2.  Touch it once- Brett called it Process Once– my mantra is “Touch it Once”  It does not matter to me if you are talking an email or cleaning a closet–touch it once. 

3. Resist printing– I must admit printing can be my downfall.  As much as I love the options technology affords me, I must confess that I still love paper at times for reading and for taking notes.  I am trying to clean up my act in this arena however; I am printing less and recycling more but I have a ways to go!

4. Don’t use email to collaborate, use it to communicate.  I really do love this one.  Email is great and I am not a proponent (like some) to do away with it.  BUT let’s use it correctly.  I do fall into the trap at times of collaborating with it; but am a believer in not using it this way.  Use IM,  wikis, blogs, shared workspaces, etc.

5. Links yes, attachements no.  Yes, yes, and yes!

6. Store in a searchable repository.  Sharepoint is a great solution for this along with EMC products.

7. Be a sharer not a hoarder- I think this is easier for some than others. BUT  hoarding information is getting you NO WHERE.  Be the go to person and seek out the go to people.  Stop feeling threatened by giving it away!  Give it away and see it explode!  Ideas blossom once they are out there.  You can’t possible know it all so why not give someone an opportunity to expand on your knowledge and you on theirs!

8. Use real time communication- web conferences, im, etc are great for getting stuff done fast!

Now my added practices:

9. Listen – even when you think you have it 100% correct, listen.  You will probably find out that you really weren’t 100% on and the other person has something worthwhile to contribute.  Afterall collaboration is about the meeting of the minds and ideas right?

10. GO for consensus— again the win/win and consensus mentality makes up Collaboration doesn’t it?  Open Source is a great example.  No one person has all the answers and by working on a collaborative decision by consensus you have the best of lots of worlds and no  one is a loser!

11. Offer up assistance and help.  You know what your niche is–offer it up.  When the tide is turned, someone will offer back to you their expertise.

12. Be a door not a wall.  What I mean by this is be a pathway to information rather than the person that is the block (we can’t, we won’t, etc.).  Keep your door open and let others in.
What about you?  How do you collaborate and keep the CQ going?

Happy Collaborating!

Meeting consensus

Implementing any tool is impossible without consensus on the goals and objectives and the features needed on a product.  It doesn’t matter whether it is SharePoint, Q-Task, PBWiki, Basecamp, eRoom, Telligent or ABC Fantastic Collaboration tool–no buy in=unsuccessful implementation.  How many times have you sat in a meeting and walked out the same way you came in?  Not knowing what you were there for, not accomplishing anything and frustrated that another tool or process was going to be looked at and implemented but you had no idea why.  As a professional faciliator (CPF with the IAF) I have had the opportunity to work with groups and help them to gain consensus on goals and objectives on solutions.  Some tips:

• Have an agenda and make sure everyone knows what it is!
• Invite the right people to the meeting–not just the decision makers but the USERS of the product.
• Define the goals and objectives BEFORE deciding on a product.  Use a business analyst to assist with this.
• Use time limits and ground rules that everyone has agreed to.
• No dominators; everyone participates.

This is challenging to do.  We all know that if this was easy, we would never sit in another meeting that was torture!  A great thing to do is to bring in a Professional Facilitator.  As a facilitator and business analyst I love to be brought into these meetings!  When I am called into a situation, I have a methodology that I use to get participants to consensus.  People leave feeling accomplished and they know what is next.  They actually smile at the end!  For more information on how faciitation can help you and your business, let me know!  Happy Collaborating.