Today’s topic(s)

Collaboration

Communication styles and challenges

What makes a team

Cubicles

To Collaborate (v)

Merriam-Webster says:1 to work jointly with others or

together, especially in an intellectual endeavor

2

3 to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected

Key words:

Work jointly – together Intellectual endeavor = knowledge

work Cooperate with … not immediately

connected

Is this your experience – or are you stuck in sequential (documentation) development?

aka: Hurry up-and-wait method1. Receive product for documentation2. Write draft texts 3. Send to SME … wait4. Process edits5. Send to SME … wait6. Process final edits7. Circulate for formal sign-off … wait8. Test with users (optional)9. Finalize documents & publish

(print/web)

Collaboration

Let’s play a little game – no words!

Collaboration: simple, not easy Less time and energy wasted with

politicking

More emotionally and psychologically satisfying

Iterative development; faster problem-solving

But: has anyone learned how to collaborate?

Collaboration pre-requisites Trust Check ego at the door Non-territorial Generous sharing Respectful critique

Communication styles

Thank goodness we’re not all the same!

What’s your preferred style?

Communication styles

Visual, Auditory, Digital & Kinetic How to recognize?

+ Yes, I see what you mean Visual - Excuse me, can you show me one more

time? + Yes, I hear what you’re saying Auditory

- Sorry, can you repeat that? + That adds up for me Digital

- Sorry, that’s not a logical sequence + Yes, I’m following you Kinetic

- You’ve lost me, I can’t keep up

Challenges communicating with Engineers … often digital

communicators

Marketing … usually visual communicators

Regulatory Affairs … mostly auditory communicators

Sales reps … definitely kinetic communicators

Definition of ‘team’

Merriam-Webster says:Team (noun) c) a number of persons associated

together in work or activity, see also Crew, Gang

What’s a collaborative team?Or is the term redundant, like ‘white

snow’?

Teams Groups

Size Limited Medium or Large

Selection Crucial Immaterial

Leadership

Shared or Rotating Solo

Perception

Mutual or Shared Understanding

Focus on Leader

Style Role Spread;Coordination

Role Duplication;Conformism

Spirit Dynamic interaction:

“We”

Circle the Wagons:“Us and Them”

Team vs. Group

Real teams have …

Range of disciplines / expertise Different roles for different phases Interdependencies – no single

member can complete the task alone A collective focus on result over

process A common goal

Co-location Co-design

Physical co-location (Virtual) collaboration

Cross-disciplinary input / feedback cross-fertilization of ideas

}Tools & Techniques

Co-design method

1.Message & audience defines documentation need

defines output2.Define and assemble cross-

disciplinary team3.Co-locate team4.Develop product and documentation concurrently, in an iterative process

5.Publish & Ship

The Power of Eavesdropping To know enough about what’s going

on that meetings become rare To see/hear/watch team mates do

their stuff, so you can intelligently comment (and contribute) from outside the discipline

To identify issues that require additional resources

Sorry Dilbert: The Cube Must Go! How can we expect people to think outside of the box, when we put them in one?How can we ask them to look beyond their own world, when all they see is the cubicle wall?

Co-location logistics

Create ‘islands’ of desks facing each other

No visual obstacles between desks Create bulletin board ‘castle walls’

on 2 -3 sides Create a few, small ‘distraction-free’

zones for high-concentration activity

The future of work

New team is assembled for each project

Individuals submit applications to join the project team

Team composition is customized for: High interpersonal compatibility Track record of results Critical team role Collaboration and communication skills

Mind-set

In the future -- the not-too-distant future -- only two groups of people will be in the world of work: entrepreneurs and those who think like entrepreneurs.

Terri Lonier, CEO NY Consultancy

Contact

For more information:

echamer@hamer-associates.ca

1-604-317-2234

Slides posted to SlideShare.net; keywords: lavacon08, hamer, ‘workplace 2.0’