A couple months ago, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Collective Impact Summit where a wide range of topics related to working collaboratively were discussed. Naturally, the whole time I had my eyes peeled for ways that relevant knowledge is not only being captured but is being transferred. Since then, I've run across a few extra examples of how folks are using visuals in particular to share insights about collaboration. Here are ten visuals I recreated to synthesize my learning. I believe they describe just about everything there is to know about Collective Impact to date.
Read MoreDid you know that employee time spent in collaborative activities has increased by more than 50% in the past two decades? Making this time count is important but it can also be challenging. Whenever individuals come together to solve problems they will be faced with competing needs. Groups must keep in mind that communication tools will need to help individuals get their social needs met while also advancing the group’s ability to execute tasks. Visuals can play a key role in maximizing time spent together and ensuring that these needs are not in competition.
Read MoreMany of us have heard colleagues complain about team efforts that feel like “herding cats” or “rearranging chairs on the Titanic.” It is very common for group members to report dissatisfaction with meeting processes in particular. This can become a vicious cycle because an individual’s engagement with the group will largely depend on their perception of the group. While many may realize that their group is stuck, few may realize that miscommunication is at the root.
Read MoreI work with organizations who are constantly asking what it means to work together and who are braving new frontiers when it comes to doing it better. From them I have learned that collaboration may be easy to talk about but it is often difficult to do in practice (and even harder to measure). I've witnessed that one of the most challenging requirements for teamwork is keeping everyone engaged. Interestingly, researchers have unveiled a paradox here: the best collaborative efforts are the result of BOTH creating safe space for everyone to contribute equally AND intentionally supporting those who add the most value. Here I will describe how I think these aims might best be balanced using the process and framework of design thinking.
Read MoreIt has come time for some final suggestions for how you can best care for yourself in order to have the strength you need to make change in this world. If you know much about me, you probably know I can't really talk about change without talking about nature. So it shouldn't surprise you too much that this last part is all about how to use its power in your life.
Read MoreThe great paradox of change is that while it must begin and end with ourselves, we absolutely cannot do it alone. Of course, no one can do self-care for us, but we also can't fully care for ourselves without receiving the support we need from others.
Read MoreIt my belief that whether we wish to change our organization, family, culture, or world, we must first be willing to change ourselves. While healthy eating and exercise habits are essential to supporting this change, when we choose to consider the best use for our minds as well is when we really see some dramatic shifts in our lives.
Read MoreBeing a "change agent" requires all of ourselves. No matter how we are seeking to transform our world, we must be committed in heart, mind, and body in order to dedicate our lives to this vision. This sort of commitment can take its toll.
Read MoreMartin Luther King, Jr. was the kind of leader we might get once in a century, the kind that knows how to use the tools of communication and marketing to fulfill a noble purpose. We all know that King was an educated preacher, an incredible writer, a moving speaker, a husband, a father, and a friend. What's worth considering more is that he was also a masterful marketer and his success was attributable to his ability to do what all successful marketers must.
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