Results from New Global Survey on Collaboration: Collaboration 2020

Although collaboration is seen as very hype, it is already a fundamental premise for today’s knowledge intensive businesses, and the importance of collaboration is expected to grow further towards 2020.


This report was built through a combination of an extensive online survey with more than 1,700 experienced workers and a series of strategic interviews with 26 thought leaders across five business sectors (industrial, technology, finance, oil & gas, and life sciences). KC designed the survey, carried out the strategic interviews and completed the survey analysis for survey sponsor Dr. Marie Puybaraud, Director Global WorkPlace Innovation at Johnson Controls.

Succeeding with collaboration at a level where it is a competitive advantage requires a broad approach. Although a majority of respondents expect high use of high-performance project spaces in 2020, the design of these environments and the ability to shift effortlessly between them represent key success factors.

View and download the report (interactive viewer; pdf download link to the full report)

Explore the survey report summary (pdf)
 

Three key findings:

1. The function or role of the office and the physical workplace is rapidly becoming one of supporting collaboration.
2. Both current and projected needs of knowledge workers and workplace infrastructure are far apart.
3. The use of video communication and real time collaboration tools will increase substantially.

All questions, reflections or comments to the survey and the survey results are welcome - either through the comment field below, on twitter using hashtag #collaboration2020 or by e-mail to kc@kristensenconsulting.com.

Collaboration: Approach, Structure and Technology

As mentioned earlier in this blog, the realization of expected benefits from collaboration requires a clear collaborative strategy, and hands-on collaboration tactics. Lack of either (or a clear connection between the two) dramatically reduces the success rate.

In essence, what is needed is a connected and coherent, multi-level, multi-perspective approach that closes the gap between strategy and tactics and operationalizes collaborative strategies based on business objectives.

Excelling at collaboration is a complex undertaking that requires a broad approach. But the broad approach is not enough. The process of staging this (preferably broad) approach is also important, doing things in the appropriate sequence.

Therefore - begin with the end in mind – by establishing a set of good objectives that take into consideration the particular context of your company. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there” is an appropriate maxim in this context. Giving the process some attention is just good risk management.

Second - all too often solutions are prescribed without a proper understanding of the underlying problems. This is like playing ”Jeopardy” – you know the answer, and then go looking for problems that fit the solution. Needless to say, it should be the other way around, but reversing this common error does not happen by itself – this is largely due to the inherent structural imbalance (asymmetry) in power between a well-organized, streamlined supply side and a weak demand side. The supply side keeps delivering packaged solutions similar to previous projects, because this standardization minimizes their risk and maximizes their profits. This is their core business; they make a living doing this. Compared to the supply side, the demand side is less streamlined, and many representatives find themselves in unfamiliar territory, as being involved in such projects deviate much from their normal day to day activities. Systematically strengthening the user side and the user project could help addressing some of these problems.

A note on the role of technology: Technology alone should be viewed as a commodity – it can be purchased by your competitors, and offers little in terms of competitiveness in its own right. To use a sports metaphor – the sole act of buying a new collaboration technology gives you no more competitive edge than buying a new pair of boxing gloves if you are to fight Mike Tyson. Yes – technology may be necessary, but there is more to it. Technology alone rarely does the trick.

However, as a part of broader, contextualized concepts that also include processes, organization, competence and other elements, technology can, in combination with other elements, be a very powerful differentiator.

New journal article in the International Journal of e-Collaboration

Collaborative Performance: Addressing the ROI of Collaboration

Published in: International Journal of e-Collaboration, Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 53-69
Authors: Kjetil Kristensen (ESoCE-NET) & Björn Kijl (University of Twente)

Most companies tend to address collaboration in a fragmented, ad hoc manner, despite the fact that many professionals today spend most of their time on collaborative activities. Significant productivity improvements can be realized from approaching collaboration more systematically. This article explains how businesses can benefit from a systematic, structured investment in tools and methods supporting collaboration. The article proposes a few governing principles and a list of specific action points for businesses that are interested in improving collaborative performance and collaborative Return on Investment (ROI).

Read the abstract from the publisher IGI Global or access full text purchase options:
Collaborative Performance: Addressing the ROI of Collaboration >>

The article is a part of the IJeC Special Issue on Collaboraborative Working Environments featuring several articles from the ECOSPACE Integrated Project [project wiki] funded as a part of the European Commission's Strategic Objective Collaborative Working Environments.