Strategic

CHAPTER 14Collaboration

“When I was a kid, there was no collaboration; it's you with a camera bossing your friends around. But as an adult, filmmaking is all about appreciating the talents of the people you surround yourself with.”

—Steven Spielberg, film director, writer, and producer

As one's responsibilities increase and the pressure to achieve goals and reach financial targets heightens, it's common to descend into a mental foxhole and lose sight of the power of collaboration. To collaborate is to work with others willingly and agreeably for a common purpose. Taking a page from Spielberg's script for success, are we actively aware of and tapping into the talents and insights of those around us on a regular basis in order to drive toward our destination?

Several studies suggest we have an opportunity to shorten our paths to success by engaging in effective collaboration. Why is this relevant? The majority of leaders and their direct reports are involved in collaborative activities a whopping 85% of their time.¹ A survey by Human Capital Media Research found that 58% of cross‐functional groups within organizations do not effectively align their strategies with one another.² And when collaboration is occurring, it's not always achieving its intended effects. Research shows that a meager 6% of people collaborating through cross‐functional groups think that they are regularly achieving outstanding results and less than 10% report that information is shared effectively.³ How, ...