creating bridges for success - jamaica employer's claudia, phd... · microsoft powerpoint -...

Creating Bridges

For Success

Creating Bridges

For Success

White Sand Consultants © 2012

Working Collaboratively Working Collaboratively

Within and Across OrganizationsWithin and Across Organizations

A world of peace• Workers with shared vision• A work culture of partnering • A place where people matter, and relationships

prevail

Imagine"..

prevail• Competition exist but does not stifle collaboration• Me, you, us, they and them ".. People coming

together in a way that it has never been done before


What People Are Saying""Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.“ - Helen Keller

"The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other." -Thomas Stallkamp


Thomas Stallkamp

“There is far more talk about collaboration than doing.” - Russ Linden, Author of Working Across Boundaries

What’s Driving the Collaboration Momentum?

• Blurred boundaries• A “nobody’s in charge” world• Technology advances• Increasing number of specialists and

stakeholders• Complex challenges• Public impatience with poor

performance, waste• Recent world and political events


What’s Your Story? • Parties participating and resisting

• Urgency and benefits of collaborating

Shared Experiences

• Positives and negatives impact

• Consequences for not collaborating

• Successes, Challenges, Failures


• Agreeing

• Assisting

• Cooperating

Collaboration: What is it?Collaboration: What is it?Collaboration: What is it?Collaboration: What is it?

• Cooperating

• Jointly producing

• Working with

• Sharing


“We can’t stress enough the power of collaboration. The old American myth that competition is the path to business heaven

has died a slow death .”– Kouzes & Posner, The Leadership Challenge

The leadership follows

collaborative principles

There is a constituency

for the collaboration

Individuals are committed

Collaborative Framework

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√√√√

The Basics

are in place

The stakes are high

for the collaboration

Relationships are built

On trust and respect

√√√√

√√√√

√√√√

√√√√


• Better informed decisions• Better use of scarce resources• Ability to create something that

you can’t create by yourself using

Reasons to Collaborate

you can’t create by yourself using existing mindsets

• Higher quality, more integrated product / service for the end users


• Cost savings

• Potential for individual and organizational learning

• Better ability to achieve your

Reasons to Collaborate

• Better ability to achieve your mission

• Expanded network


Collaboration Hurdles

••SystemicSystemic

••SocietalSocietal••SocietalSocietal

••OrganizationalOrganizational

••IndividualIndividual


� Need for Power

• Self-serving bias

• Lack of trust and confidence

• Turf issues

Individual Hurdles

• Narrow “silo” mentality

• Fear of losing control, autonomy, quality, identity, resources


“Individuals committed to a vision beyond their self-interestfind they have energy not available when pursuing narrower goals.”

Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

Organizational Hurdles

� Immediate costs, remote benefits

� Different goals and measures

� Low credit or reward� Low credit or reward

� Different funding streams, measures,

� What’s in it for the organization?

� Different rules, beliefs, values


• Personal beliefs

• Rugged individualism

Societal Hurdles

• Rugged individualism

• Bias for competition


"Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation

of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail but when I

look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others

rather than to myself." Alexander Graham Bell

• Political agendas

• Economic realities

Systemic Hurdles

• Cultural biases

• Social norms

• Religious beliefsWhite Sand Consultants © 2012

�Open relationship among the partners

�Open and honest communication

�Each partner plays to its strengths

Keys To Successful Collaboration

�Voluntary not a mandatory effort

�Win-win Approach (willingness among partners toaccept less than 100% of what they want)

�Shared resources – staffing, materials, etc.


• Joint ownership for process

• Agreed-upon ground rules

• Partners get to know each other

Keys To Successful Collaboration

• Partners get to know each other

• Transparency; behind-scenes activity minimal

• Clear roles

• Skillful convening

• Action-oriented approachWhite Sand Consultants © 2012

• Better informed decisions

• Better use of scarce resources

• Ability to create something that

Results of Collaboration

• Ability to create something that you can’t create by yourself using existing mindsets

• Higher quality, more integrated product / service for the end users White Sand Consultants © 2012

• Potential for individual and organizational learning

• Better ability to achieve the

Results of Collaboration

• Better ability to achieve the organization’s mission

• Cost savings

• Expanded networkWhite Sand Consultants © 2012

If nature gets the notion of

collaboration,

Just A Thought"..

collaboration,

why can’t humans?


Yes, We Can


"Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em "Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em to play to play to play to play

together is the hard part." together is the hard part." -- Casey StengelCasey Stengel

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