In Response to Collaboration Provides Autonomy

Last week I started a new Making Strategies Stick project with a large IT company. The guys I'm working with are the technical sales folk and as we were working out their strategic story they mentioned that the passion that was once there for their products seemed to be waning among some of their technical specialists.

From: Anecdote: Collaboration provides autonomy

A very short post from Anecdote, the para jumps out at you, not only because it is the first para in a post that is 3 paragraphs long, but because of the underlying message it conveys.

As soon as I read it, I told myself, "Those guys are losing motivation, they are not feeling involved."

The post gives a classic example of where instruction was replacing involvement. I mentioned in an earlier post--Collaboration: A mantra that makes work play!--how typical knowledge workers do not appreciate being instructed; involvement is the key to motivation.

In today's networked world of the Concept Age where ideas connect and bring together people, where knowledge workers thrive on collaboration, leaders have to change their style.

As mentioned in another post from Anecdote: Book review: Switch—How to Change Things When Change is Hard, "A leader cannot afford to stay aloof. For change to occur they need to get into the detail as well as stay strategic."

Both the posts referenced here from Anecdote are a must read for anyone who wishes to grow a motivated and enthusiastic team where knowledge is freely shared, learning and collaboration go hand in hand, and these get reflected in the work the team puts forth.

For the truly keen, there is also a white paper from Anecdote, Building a collaborative workplace.