Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Build Common Ground, and Reap Big Results

Recently I read a few books on the general topic of collaboration. My favorite was Morten Hansen's "Collaboration." Published by Harvard Business Press and written by an INSEAD/Berkeley professor, it is naturally very business focused. It emphasizes the importance of cultural issues, it suggests several best practices, and it provides many case studies.Hansen begins by enumerating several collaboration "traps": -collaborating in hostile territory -overcollaborating (it is refreshing for an author to suggest that his thesis and the title to his book isn't universally applicable) -overshooting the potential value -underestimating costs -misdiagnosing the problem -implementing the wrong solutionHe suggests that the solution to these traps is "disciplined collaboration ... the leadership practice of properly assessing when to collaborate (and when not to) and instilling in people both the willingness and ability to collaborate when required"The three steps in disciplined collaboration are to: -evaluate opportunities for collaboration -spot barriers to collaborate -tailor collaboration solutionsIn general, his case for collaboration is that it provides better innovation, better sales, and better operations - all of which can lead to sales growth, cost savings, and asset efficiency.The four barriers to successful collaboration are: -not invented here syndrome -hoarding -search problems -transfer issuesThe three levers to tear down these barriers are: -unify people, reduce motivational barriers and get buy-in toward a common goal -encourage T-shaped management that rewards both independent results and cross-unit contributions. -create nimble, not bloated networks across organizations that deliver resultsFinally the author discusses how you grow to be a collaborative leader.

I appreciated the section he wrote on barriers to collaboration. The research centers on US and European companies and does not incorporate cultural and inclusive perspectives, in a genre that remains dominated by white, male voices. It's a clean, linear, process-driven approach to collaboration. Very academic. Very left-brain dominant. Personally, the best collaborative endeavors I've experienced or witnessed were messy as hell and characterized by significant personal risk. What about the role of trust and relationship in fostering collaboration? (Neither of those words are in the index.) Whereas Morten describes disciplined collaboration - which is an oxymoron in my brain - I wonder about meaningful collaboration. What about the personal risks we must take to collaborate? What about the requirement to lay down your own ego and certainty? If we're gonna talk about collaboration, I wanna hear about leaders falling on their swords, asking for help, admitting they have no idea what they're doing, the role of humility, a love affair with questions, the ability to shut up and listen to others. I don't doubt the truth of Morten's research, but it's incomplete. It's missing heart.

Common sense views would have us believe that any collaboration is better then none. Dr. Hansen's foundational work shows that collaboration can be detrimental. Something that most of us would have found incredible previously. Companies which are working to change the company dynamic need to read this book to determine which people perform collaboratively and which do not.The cumulative lore established by books such as "Good to Great", "The New How" and "Collaboration" lead to the conclusion that companies need to work harder to engage their employees throughout the company and to encourage greater collaboration at the senior levels of the company as well. Dr. Hansen specifies that "T" type managers are better suited to meet company objectives because they are not just good at meeting the requirements of their own silo but they also reach out across silos to assist others achieve the broader goals.

I’ve read a lot of books on collaboration but still struggled to hone in on the essence of what collaboration is & isn’t, and how to create a collaborative culture. The advice in this book, with clear examples of leaders who practice disciplined collaboration, is outlined in a way that is easy for others to understand in order to start making disciplined collaboration part of how we function as leaders. The charts, assessments, and chapter summaries will make this book a valuable “go to” book in my collection.

I'm an in a graduate-school leadership class. This book was required reading, and I'm finding it the best of the bunch. It has the typical anecdotes that illustrate the point, but the process of choosing them is methodologically sound, and once the results are unpacked, the book does not blather on and on to make the same points, as we saw in "Good to Great."

I purchased this book for a college psychology course. I read it in one weekend, so it wasn't too dense; language had an easy flow. However, it seemed like the book would be better in a business course. Many examples involving corporations and business practices. It could be useful if you are a supervisor or in a leadership position in a company.

This book combines great research with helpful anecdotes and vivid illustrations to teach principles about how to do disciplined collaboration. Because not all collaboration is good!

Success in the 21st century will depend on collaboration to a much higher level than ever before.This book is an excellent read on this much needed topic. Great narrative introduction, nicely done typology (a four quadrants framework) and practical tips. I especially enjoyed the strategems, like "Molotove cocktail = weak ties and complex knowledge." How true. Highly recommend. Everyone will learn something new - and useful.

Methodological analyses of how collaboration can be effective - or not - through in-depth company case studies - it all depends on intentionality and benefits perceived by the actors in the system, depending on context and circumstances.The book is helpfully set up with summaries and key points.

Besides calling the attention for the limits of collaboration, together with examples, the book does not bring insightfull contributions. Overcollaboration, disciplined collaboration, collaboration premium, are some of the key concepts discussed

Esperaba que el libro tuviera un análisis más profundo y aportara algo nuevo de lo que es colaboración entre organizaciones, sin embargo la lectura se vuelve sumamente tediosa y es difícil agarrarle el paso. Parece que estás leyendo un artículo académico. Si tiene que hacer una tesis sobre la colaboración de organizaciones, encontrar palabras rimbombantes y descripción de procesos evidentes en la colaboración, entonces no se va a decepcionar. Si busca algo más, este libro no es para usted.

Ce livre porte exclusivement sur l'étude des obstacles à la coopération entre entités opérationnelles (business units), dans les grandes organisations,.Attention, ce n'est donc pas un livre sur la collaboration en général, sur la coopération entre membres d'une même équipe, ni même sur l'efficacité des relations entre entités fonctionnelles et opérationnelles.Sur son sujet, Morten Hansen apporte une excellente grille d'analyse, il fournit au lecteur quelques outils de diagnostic et livre des exemples bien choisis.Il est sans doute un peu moins convaincant sur les solutions proposées, qui restent assez générales, mais le bouquin est solide et intéressant de bout en bout.

El libro es bueno lo recomiendo; si me gustó, no me súper encantó, pero lo recomiendo; tienen aspectos importantes a llevar a cabo dentro de la Empresa, que considero son importantes