How to Make Collaboration Work

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Introduction:The Power of Collaborative Action

People in nearly every occupation and every walk of life have to work and make decisions collaboratively. Collaboration is required at every level of every organization—be it a corporation, small business, nonprofit organization, educational institution, government agency, or legislative body. And collaboration takes place not only within these organizations, but also between and among them. Collaborative action is required, for example, when:

• a senior management team needs to figure out how to cut expenses by 15 percent;
• an organization wants to define its purpose and vision, or develop a strategic plan;
• a team in an advertising agency needs to design a new ad campaign;
• administrative staffers ...