Friends and Colleagues,
Welcome back! We
hope that you had an enjoyable summer. We
spent the past few months fine tuning our service offerings, adding new
Alliance Partners and sharing our collaborative knowledge and expertise with
new clients. Other changes include our
newly enhanced website containing detailed
descriptions of our comprehensive service offerings at www.conviviumpartners.com. We appreciate your review of our e-letter and
look forward to you sharing your “collective wisdoms” with us by
clicking here.
“The need to share…is greater than the need
to know…”
So stated Lee
Hamilton, Vice Chair, of the 9/11 Commission on the release of their report to
the American public on July 22, 2004.
Like most Americans, we were struck by the depth of former Congressman
Hamilton’s words; not only as they related to the Commission’s findings but how
they seem to serve as a metaphor for all groups, public and private, that are
challenged to work together towards a common purpose, cooperatively and
collaboratively. Similar words were
spoken by another Commission member former Senator Slade Gordon, on “Nightline”
this past summer. To paraphrase Senator Gordon,
“…the failure of many governmental agencies to collaborate was at the root of
the experience we had on September 11, 2001…”
In hindsight, this all seems so self-evident. However, Lee Hamilton’s words still haunt. “The need to share is greater than the need
to know”. So, what can we learn from
this?
Cooperative
behavior is sharing, not controlling.
In John
Surowiecki’s new book, “The Wisdom of
Crowds”, the lack of the “aggregation of (the group’s) knowledge” was at the
root of the intelligence failures of 9/11.
As Surowiecki
demonstrates, there is proof that when a crowd or group shares its knowledge in
making a decision, there is a significantly
higher probability of a successful outcome than if only a selected few were to control the decision process.
Lee Hamilton’s statement,
the “need to know” is construed by many leaders as the need to control. How many times have we all heard, “knowledge
is power”? How many managers or
leaders rule by this axiom? When the
need to control subverts the greater purpose of the whole or the group from
having knowledge through the sharing of information, the group exists at its
peril.
The agencies responsible
for the failures of 9/11, as we see now, are stuck in an old way of
working. However, whether it is a new
project or an existing supply-chain, more and more leaders have begun to
embrace building collaborative and cooperative cultures within “and” external
to their organization. Today’s new
leadership values the need to gather knowledge from all sources and share
the knowledge across the organization.
The results of seeking solutions through the “collective wisdom” are
tested and proven - greater rewards
and profitability, increased brand recognition, retention of key talent and
community respect.
How do you develop a
collaborative culture? While the process to build a collaborative
project culture is a long-term commitment from the top of an organization down,
we have identified four “C’s” to effective collaboration that can be utilized
in almost any project setting, internal or
external:
Our clients’ experience has been, when these steps are
followed, extraordinary results are not only possible; they are
probable.
Collaboration works.
Take the challenge. Know
and Share. Reap the rewards.
How can you take the first step towards creating a
collaborative organization? Contact
Convivium Partners at info@conviviumpartners.com
to begin working a new way.
Until next time, be well!
Managing
Partner, Co-Founder
Email: maulrich@conviviumpartners.com
Telephone: 908.653.9550
Fax: 908-653-9503
Convivium Partners, LLC provides
Collaborative Partnering Consulting, Human capital Solutions and Professional
Facilitation for an international community of clients representing diverse
industries.
ÓConvivium Partners,
LLC, September 2004