I've been reading a lot lately about the marvels of collaboration. There's always a topic of the day, and then there are those that keep turning up every few years, and collaboration is one of them. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it, as more brains working on something is better than one. What people fail to discuss however, is just how decisions get made and ultimately who is responsible for failure. I single out failure because everyone shares in the success, but only one person takes the fall when things turn bad. Back to decision making.
In this collaborative world we're in, all ideas are good and everyone's a winner. That's great, but what's important is a clear process of how to choose the best path/product/idea before you get started otherwise it becomes a free for all, wastes time, and drains morale.I love efficiency and logic and it seems to make so much more sense to get this process defined first before the fun begins. It's okay to make it democratic (most votes wins) or autocratic (one person based on data chooses) just choose and gain agreement up front. This however, requires leadership.
People are afraid of assuming leadership in a group situation, but when done well, is the most effective way of driving to a decision. Companies, both big and small need leaders that can both lead and collaborate. They need people who can step up and move the business forward in a variety of situations and gain the trust and confidence of the people in the room. So look for the leaders in your organization, nurture them, support them and provide an environment where they and the organization can thrive.
In this collaborative world we're in, all ideas are good and everyone's a winner. That's great, but what's important is a clear process of how to choose the best path/product/idea before you get started otherwise it becomes a free for all, wastes time, and drains morale.I love efficiency and logic and it seems to make so much more sense to get this process defined first before the fun begins. It's okay to make it democratic (most votes wins) or autocratic (one person based on data chooses) just choose and gain agreement up front. This however, requires leadership.
People are afraid of assuming leadership in a group situation, but when done well, is the most effective way of driving to a decision. Companies, both big and small need leaders that can both lead and collaborate. They need people who can step up and move the business forward in a variety of situations and gain the trust and confidence of the people in the room. So look for the leaders in your organization, nurture them, support them and provide an environment where they and the organization can thrive.
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