Book Review: How to Make Collaboration Work

How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions by David Straus describes the principles of collaborative problem solving in organisations. In the book, David describes collaboration as:

“the process people employ when working together in a group, organisation, or community to plan, create, solve problems, and make decisions.”

The need for collaboration in organisations has never been greater, this book provides an excellence foundation for leaders wanting to seeking to improve collaboration in their organisations.

David Straus has spent more than 30 years practicing collaboration. He studied architecture at the Harvard School of Design in 1965, and in 1969 started Interaction Associates which has become a recognised leader in organisational development, group process facilitation, training, and consulting. He is also the coauthor with Michael Doyle of “How to Make Meetings Work” which has sold over 600,000 copies.

Overview

The book is divided into three parts, I) the fundamentals, II) the principles of collaboration and III) putting it all together.

Part I: The Fundamentals

This part of the book provides a foundation describing the ‘why’ of collaborative problem-solving. Collaborative problem solving may take longer, however it results in increased buy-in making implementation more effective. Since many solutions fail at implementation this is a huge benefit.

Part II: The Principles of Collaboration

The five principles of collaboration provides a sound practical foundation, the five principles as described in the book are:

1) Involve Relevant Stakeholders

The benefits of this principle is described by David:

“When the full range of differing interests and points of view is involved in solving a problem or making a decision, the solution is likely to be much more comprehensive and creative than if a small group of like-minded individuals acted on its own. The inclusion of all stakeholders also naturally creates a broader base of support for the solution and increases the likelihood that it will actually be implemented.”

There are four types of stakeholders that should be included, in different ways, in any collaborative initiative:

1. Those with the formal power to make a decision.
2. Those with the power to block a decision.
3. Those affected by a decision.
4. Those with the relevant information of expertise.

The book the goes on to describe how to involve the relevant stakeholders using the “Rings of Involvement”.

The Rings of Involvement

2) Build Consensus Phase by Phase

David states that a groups reach consensus on a decision when:

“every group member can agree to support the decision. Each person may not think it’s the very best decision, but he or she can buy into it and actively support its implementation.”

The key idea behind “building consensus phase-by-phase” is that:

“you can’t reach consensus by going for it directly you have to work up to it gradually.”

The book goes on to describe what consensus means, the various ways consensus can be reached and what to do if you can’t reach consensus.

3) Design a Process Map

This principle recognises that there is no one right way to solve problems and therefore we need to design a problem solving process map, unique to the organisational context, to guide the collaborative effort. A process map is a tool that is used to guide the collaborative exercise helping the stakeholders understand the journey they’re on, an example of a process map is illustrated below:

An Example Process Map

4) Designate a Process Facilitator

For a collaborative meetings to be successful, they need a process facilitator, someone who is committed to ensuring that the group is interacting constructively and working towards solving the problem. The four functions of facilitators discussed in the book are:

• the facilitator as a process guide.
• the facilitator as a tool giver.
• the facilitator as neutral third party.
• the facilitator as process educator.

Each of these roles are discussed in detail.

5) Harness the Power of Group Memory

This is a simple, but powerful principle, group memory is described as:

“a record of the ideas raised and decisions made at a meeting, written on large sheets of paper and posted in full view of group members”

This simple principle is often neglected in meetings resulting in the following dysfunctional behaviours:

• Repetition and ‘wheel spinning’
• Lack of a level playing field.
• Associating ideas with people.
• Loss of focus.
• The limitations of words.
• Information overload.
• Disruption by late comers.
• Vague or misunderstood arguments.
• The failure of memory.

Each of those behaviour are described in detail.

Part III: Putting it all Together

This part of the book explores what would happen if we applied the principles of collaboration to; leadership, organisations and communities. The book suggests that collaborative leadership, organisations and communities are more productive and are more fulfilling for people who live and work in them.

In Summary

I found Part II: “The Principles of Collaboration” that makes up the bulk of the book the most valuable. Many leaders find that collaborating to solve problems overwhelming, difficult and frustratingly slow. This book provides a practical approach to resolving these issues, making collaborative problem solving a practical alternative to traditional problem solving approaches. I found the book insightful, it would certainly be of benefit to people who work as project managers, strategic planners, managers, leaders and consultants. I feel that this book provides a good foundation to collaborative problem solving.

Technorati Tags: Collaboration, Problem-solving, Facilitation, Management, Leadership, Book, Book Review, Meeting

Related posts:

1. Book Review: Mavericks at Work
2. Research Reveals Collaboration Is a Key Driver of Business Performance Around the World
3. Eight principles that support a collaborative system
4. Book Review: The Leader’s Voice
5. Book Review: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Tagged as: Book Reviews, Collaboration