September 17, 2009 Group E 1

CollaborationCollaboration

MGSMGS 3040-03 3040-03

Chapter 2Chapter 2Question 1 – page58Question 1 – page58

Evelio, Georgina, Robert, Maria and RobertEvelio, Georgina, Robert, Maria and Robert

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What is collaboration?What is collaboration?

Collaboration occurs when two or more people work Collaboration occurs when two or more people work together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product.  together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product. 

If the collaboration is effective, the results of the team If the collaboration is effective, the results of the team are productive and the team achieves the goal.  are productive and the team achieves the goal. 

Team results are greater than any individual working Team results are greater than any individual working alone.alone.

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Collaboration involves coordination, control, and Collaboration involves coordination, control, and communication.communication.

Tools to enable the exchange of ideas and Tools to enable the exchange of ideas and successfully complete and gain a group collaboration successfully complete and gain a group collaboration result:result:

Face to face meetingsFace to face meetingsGoogle DocsGoogle DocsFacebookFacebookVideo conferencingVideo conferencingEmailEmail

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September 17, 2009 5Group E

What characteristics make for an What characteristics make for an effective team member?effective team member?

Be cooperative and enthusiastic about the subjectBe cooperative and enthusiastic about the subject

Be open mindedBe open minded

Speak your mind even if your viewpoint is unpopularSpeak your mind even if your viewpoint is unpopular

Reply to others in a timely manner Reply to others in a timely manner

Be willing to enter difficult conversationsBe willing to enter difficult conversations

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Be a perceptive listenerBe a perceptive listener

Be skillful at giving or receiving positive or negative Be skillful at giving or receiving positive or negative feedback feedback

Put forth unpopular ideasPut forth unpopular ideas

Be self-managingBe self-managing

Follow through on commitmentsFollow through on commitments

We learned that our team members all have similar We learned that our team members all have similar qualities.qualities.

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What would you do with an What would you do with an ineffective team member?ineffective team member?

Define an ineffective team member. Define an ineffective team member.

It is a group of professionals (team, departments) who It is a group of professionals (team, departments) who are not capable of performing efficiently a particular are not capable of performing efficiently a particular business task. business task.

If they are not delivering the right output and matching If they are not delivering the right output and matching the performance benchmarks that are expected of the performance benchmarks that are expected of them, then it calls for serious analysis of problem them, then it calls for serious analysis of problem areas to find the appropriate solution.areas to find the appropriate solution.

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Specify five or so characteristics of an ineffective team Specify five or so characteristics of an ineffective team member:member:

Don’t pull their weight - they simply do not contribute Don’t pull their weight - they simply do not contribute enough.enough.

Unwilling to share - they are loath to share their Unwilling to share - they are loath to share their knowledge and experience with others.knowledge and experience with others.

Not worthy of trust - they share the wrong things. If Not worthy of trust - they share the wrong things. If you happen to share a confidence with them, they you happen to share a confidence with them, they misuse that information or do not keep a secret misuse that information or do not keep a secret

Blame and Excuse - for non-performance and blaming Blame and Excuse - for non-performance and blaming others in a common behavior.others in a common behavior.

Lack of sensitivity - feelings and needs of other team Lack of sensitivity - feelings and needs of other team members do not concern them.members do not concern them.

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What would you do with an What would you do with an ineffective team member?ineffective team member?

If your group has such a member what action do you as If your group has such a member what action do you as a group, believe should be taken?a group, believe should be taken?

The Right Solution for an ineffective team: The Right Solution for an ineffective team: Find the facts Find the facts Detect and identify the problemDetect and identify the problem Evaluate the behaviors or team issues associated with Evaluate the behaviors or team issues associated with

the problem the problem Look for the right solution to the problem Look for the right solution to the problem

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How do you know if you are How do you know if you are collaborating well?collaborating well?

There are 3 key Critical Collaboration Drivers that There are 3 key Critical Collaboration Drivers that measure the effectiveness of collaboration:measure the effectiveness of collaboration:

CommunicationCommunicationContent managementContent managementWorkflow controlWorkflow control

Communication is not just disseminating Communication is not just disseminating information; it is making sure that the intended message information; it is making sure that the intended message was conveyed and understood.was conveyed and understood.

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CommunicationCommunication

The communication skills and abilities of the group The communication skills and abilities of the group members are good. members are good.

The ability to give and receive critical feedback is The ability to give and receive critical feedback is particularly important. particularly important.

Work product can improve only when group Work product can improve only when group members can criticize each other’s work without members can criticize each other’s work without creating rancor and resentment and can improve creating rancor and resentment and can improve their contributions based on criticism received.their contributions based on criticism received.

The availability of effective communication systems. The availability of effective communication systems.

Today, few collaborative meetings areToday, few collaborative meetings areconducted face-to-face. conducted face-to-face.

Group members may be geographicallyGroup members may be geographicallydistributed, or they may be unable to meet at thedistributed, or they may be unable to meet at thesame time or both. same time or both.

In such cases, the availability of email andIn such cases, the availability of email andmore sophisticated and effectivemore sophisticated and effectivecommunications systems is crucial.communications systems is crucial.

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September 17, 2009 13Group E

Content ManagementContent ManagementWhen multiple users are contributing & altering When multiple users are contributing & altering

documents, assignments, and so forth, one user’s work documents, assignments, and so forth, one user’s work might interfere with another’s. might interfere with another’s.

Users need to manage content so that such Users need to manage content so that such conflict does not occur. Also, it is important to know conflict does not occur. Also, it is important to know who made what changes, when, and why. who made what changes, when, and why.

Content-management systems track and report Content-management systems track and report such data. In some collaboration members have such data. In some collaboration members have different rights and privileges. different rights and privileges.

Full permissions to create, edit, and delete Full permissions to create, edit, and delete content, and Read-only status. content, and Read-only status.

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Workflow ControlWorkflow Control

Workflow is a process or procedure by which Workflow is a process or procedure by which content is created, edited, used, and disposed. content is created, edited, used, and disposed.

The workflow specifies particular ordering of The workflow specifies particular ordering of tasks and includes processes for handling rejected tasks and includes processes for handling rejected changes as well as for dealing with exceptions.changes as well as for dealing with exceptions.

When all 3 components are understood & When all 3 components are understood & practiced that’s when collaboration is effective.practiced that’s when collaboration is effective.

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When working with a group, how do you When working with a group, how do you know when you are working well or poorly?know when you are working well or poorly?

Collaborative work involves feedback and iteration.Collaborative work involves feedback and iteration.

In a collaborative environment, team members In a collaborative environment, team members review each others’ work product and revise that product review each others’ work product and revise that product as a result. as a result.

The effort proceeds in a series of steps, or The effort proceeds in a series of steps, or iterations, in which one person produces something, iterations, in which one person produces something, others comment on what was produced, a revised version others comment on what was produced, a revised version is produced, and so forth. is produced, and so forth.

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Further, in the process of reviewing others’ Further, in the process of reviewing others’ work, team members learn from each other and work, team members learn from each other and change the way they work and what they produce. change the way they work and what they produce.

The feedback and iteration enable the group to The feedback and iteration enable the group to produce something greater than any single person produce something greater than any single person could accomplish working independently.could accomplish working independently.