COLLABORATION
“…great things in business are never done by one person;
they’re done by a team of people.”
—Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.
Collaboration is critical to the success of any endeavor.Working with people who have different perspectives or areas of expertise can result in better ideas and outcomes.
Leaders understand the importance of collaboration.Whether you’re designing a car, a building, a manufacturing or distribution process, an inventory management system or a phone, input from multiple disciplines and a diverse array ofcore competencies is a critical part of the design process. Input from designers, manufacturers, engineers, technologists, material suppliers, buyers, advertisers and consumers can all have a significant influence on the design process.
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision; The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people
to attain uncommon results.”
—Andrew Carnegie, American industrialist and philanthropist.
Why is collaboration necessary? According toBenjamin Jones, a strategy professor at the Kellogg School, part of the reason is specialization. According to Jones’ research, our individual knowledge base is becoming more and more specialized and the share of what we know as individuals is declining.
Jones points to the Wright Brothers as an example. In 1903, two men designed and flew an airplane. Today, a Boeing 787 has dozens of specialists working on the engines alone.“There’s just so much going on in designing, building and flying that plane,” Jones says. “There is an incredible range of specialized skills. Over time, this is an ongoing, never-ending phenomenon of increased specialization, which is ever increasing the demand for collaboration.”
Jones’ research confirms the value of collaboration. According to Jones, “In the 1950s and ’60s, in lots of fields, solo beat teams. It’s flipped. Now teams always have a higher homerun probability than solo.”
Finding the right balance is the key.Today’s digital workplaces simplify and facilitate collaboration.A digital workplace is a platform that empowers individuals, teams, clients and partners to share information, communicate their thoughts and collaborate without delay and with minimum effort.
Yet even with the advantages of improved technology, collaborating isn’t always easy. Collaboration often involves leveraging the talents of people from different disciplines, different cultures, different age groups, different socio-economic backgrounds and different sexes. Group members typically have varied backgrounds, biases and beliefs. They may have generational, religious, sexual, cultural and/or political differences.
Leaders need to be skilled at motivating, inspiring, facilitating and harnessing the talents of these diverse groups to achieve the extraordinary results that are often only possible througheffective collaboration.
Leaders also need to be able to identify and reward those who contribute to collaborative efforts.
Research at Harvard University shows that in most cases, twenty to thirty-five percent of value-added collaborations come from only three to five percent of employees. As people become known for being both capable and willing to help, they are typically drawn into projects and roles of increasing importance.
A2017 studyled by Ning Li of the University of Iowa shows that a single “extra miler”—an employee who frequently contributes beyond the scope of his or her role—can drive team performance more than all the other members combined.
Steve Kerr, former GE chief learning officer says, “Leaders are hoping for A: collaboration while rewarding B: individual achievement. They must instead learn how to spot and reward people who do both.”
