When it comes to running a company or other organization having open lines of communication among your team is not only desired if you want to see great results, it is required. While you may have worked on collaboration skills with your employees before, the results may have been confusing and futile in attempt. This is due to the objective being unclear from the beginning. You see, when conditioning your team regarding how to consistently contribute and produce as a harmonious unit is about more than getting these individuals to sit down together, get along, and cooperate in working towards project goals. While those elements are vital to improvement in this area, true collaboration will make strides toward the desired end result desired. If the "collaborative" efforts which are being made are demonstrating a backward motion or simply stagnate, what is taking place has nothing to do with positive, perpetually productive collaboration. True skills of collaboration, when practiced in a unified manner by all involved, will be controlled, cooperative, rich, and productive. ================= TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= The Art of Productive Collaboration I. Assessing Company-wide Collaborative Opportunities as a Whole Project Return: Price of Opportunity: Price of Collaboration: Superior Collaboration: A. Obstacle 1: The "Transfer" Obstacle 1. Lack of Team Familiarity 2. Putting Knowledge into Words 3. Lack of a Frame of Reference B. Obstacle 2: The "It's Not Ours" Obstacle 1. Lack of Personal Accountability 2. An "At Home" Attitude 3. "I can do it myself." a) Fear & Trepidation b) Comfort & Security c) Independence & Personal Strength d) Big Man & Little Man Syndrome C. Obstacle 3: The Information Obstacle 1. Non-existent Networking 2. It's hard to go to the big shots... 3. T.M.I. (Too Much Information) 4. "It's not just geography, you know." a) Time Restraints b) The Bigger the Organization, the Harder the Search c) The Internet isn't It d) The Distance Issue D. Obstacle 4: The Stashing Obstacle 1. The "Information is Power Mindset 2. Co-Worker & Colleague Competition 3. Anti-teamwork Attitude 4. Lack of Incentives a) Knowledge in Relation to Power b) Resource Battles c) The Trouble with Time d) Inventive Incentives E. Designing a Solution 1. Networks & Networking 2. Harmonious Fusion 3. Cross-Collaboration with In-House Contribution a) Networking Core Solution Concept b) Unification Core Concept Solution c) Collaborations Core Concept Solution (1) Networks & Networking (a) There is no science to networking. (b) You should always utilize the networking strategy. (c) It takes a great socializer to network right. (d) The bigger the network, the better. (2) Harmonious Fusion (a) Get the focus off competing (b) The common goal must spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S (c) Does the target get them riled up? (e) Demonstrate and live out the teamwork value. (f) Speak collaboration into existence (3) Cross-Collaboration & In-house Collective Contribution (a) If you have to, let the dead-weights go. (b) Create or tweak your incentives program. (c) Teach the skills your team will need.