How do you kill collaboration in organisations presented by Michael Norton Thursday 9th June 2016 Collaboration, co-operation and competition - project environments through a knowledge lens Knowledge SIG conference

1. HOW DO YOU KILL
COLLABORATION IN
ORGANISATIONS?

2. How to make collaboration fail as a member of staff?
How to make collaboration fail as a manager?
How to make collaboration fail as a leader?
We all spend our time looking at ways collaboration can help in the project
environment.
So what about if we didn’t do that? What if we decided that we want to make
collaboration fail?
Please give us your suggestions. They can be silly, crazy, insane or you can make
a few sensible ones too.

3. STAFF
The be silent
When they are asked for a
comment on something they do
not answer, the important stuff
they simply ignore as they feel it’s
not relevant or they have not been
approached in a way they feel
comfortable with.
The refuse to get informed
Whatever concept or system has
been set up to make sure that
everybody can stay easily
informed about everything - even
if it was their suggestion they
refuse to use it. Claim that you do
not know how to use it but at the
same time, refuse or ignore any
attempt to help.
The self-proclaimed guru
Being knowledgeable is great and
is tremendously helpful in most
situations. But when self-
proclaimed gurus try to be a one-
person team, it defeats the
purpose of collaboration. They
dismiss talent and expertise of
other that limit collaboration.

4. MANAGERS
The it never worked before
They have been around for a while
and are ruled by “the way things
have always been done” and “that
has never worked before”
The what if happens
The manager has a fear the
unknown and the fear of failure
prevents them from considering
new ideas or moving in the any
direction so will be looking for
excuses before anything starts.
The unpredictable manager
They let the others believe that
now, finally, they can count on
their participation - and then
disappear completely from the
scenery for several days after
which you send angry email full of
accusations and complaints on
what it happening

5. LEADERS
The suit
The leader’s non-verbal behaviour
restricts or hampers participants’
willingness to speak up and share
ideas and insights
The competitor
Leaders hire staff as they have
competitive spirt and wish to
employee others with a
competitive spirt but then expect
them to collaborate.
The technology solution
Leaders see and hear other
organisations are pushing
collaboration platforms and
enterprise social networks as
solution to collaboration woes and
want to jump on the band wagon.

6. 12TH PRINCIPLES OF COLLABORATION
1. Lead by example
2. Individual benefit vs
corporate benefit
3. Strategy before technology
4. Learn to get out of the way
5. Listen to the voice of the
employee
6. Integrate into the flow of
work
7. Create a supportive
environment
8. Measure what matters
9. Persistence
10. Adapt and evolve
11. Employee collaboration also
benefits the customer
12. Collaboration can make the
world a better place
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2013/07/30/the-
12-habits-of-highly-collaborative-organizations/#526f7a255f12

7. This presentation was delivered at an APM
event
To find out more about upcoming events
please visit our website
www.apm.org.uk/events