Vijf mythes over samenwerken

Samenwerking, bij voorkeur collaboration genoemd, is tegenwoordig hip in Het Nieuwe Werken. Gisteren schreef John Keadle van USPJA, in de serie 5 myths about... van John Mancini over de mythes over samenwerking.

Mythe #1: Communicatie is eenvoudig

Consider also the fact that leaders are leaders because they "can accomplish" not because they "can write." They all fear the day some newbie underling just out of freshman comp points out their glaring misuse of passive voice.
As a result, the only thing a leader can say in print is yesterday's news, items that have been exhaustively vetted, approved by all the stakeholders and already implemented. This guarantees that the moment they are posted, they are obsolete audience killers.

Mythe #2: Taak management is eenvoudig

First of all, collaboration does not overrule the Peter Principle. Paraphrasing, this assures us that no task is ever assigned to a capable worker. Attracted by higher salaries, capable workers have already left for jobs that they are not capable of doing.

Mythe #3: Technologie is eenvoudig

So we post the document and email a link to the team. Let's hope we have not turned on "Track Changes" which will mean that no one will make any because of all those ugly red marks it makes. This means that each of our team members will download the document, make some changes and, because the check in\out process is so onerous, they'll email it to everyone who will do the same. In less than two days, you'll have n^2 irreconcilable versions where n is the number of people on your team that don't know how to use "Track Changes" or "Check in\out."

Mythe #4: Competenties ontwikkelen is eenvoudig

Typically, in a team of ten, one will know the URL for the team site. One will know how to check in\out, unlock versions and roll back. One will know how to add a second page to Excel. Two will know how to make coffee and the rest little more than the combo numbers at the Wendy's Drive Thru. Anything more involved will be way too complicated for anyone else to understand and the last thing we want to do is make anyone learn how to navigate a new dialog box or edit a host file.

Myhthe #5: Kwaliteit is eenvoudig

Of course, we all believe “our collaborative product is superior. We get more people to invest in more, better ideas and end up with a best of breed product.”
In contrast, we can’t ignore the correlation between nobility and capability; our most capable people are also the most considerate, meek and humble. As a consequence, our least capable people are the most stubborn, selfish, ambitious and most determined to leave their mark.

Welke mythes zouden we hier nog aan toe kunnen voegen?

Plaatje: Word Challenge: Collaboration van Peter Durand