How to Make Collaboration Work, livre ebook

Every day we work with others to solve problems and make decisions, but the experience is often stressful, frustrating, and inefficient. In How to Make Collaboration Work, David Straus, a pioneer in the field of group problem solving, introduces five principles of collaboration that have been proven successful time and again in nearly every conceivable setting.
Straus draws on his thirty years of personal and professional experience to show how these principles have been applied by organizations as diverse as Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston Public Schools, Kaiser Permanente, the city of Denver, and many others.
How to Make Collaboration Work shows how collaboration can become a joy rather than a chore-a kind of chemical reaction that releases far more energy than it consumes.
Chapter One

WORK ENVIRONMENT

GIGGLE WHILE YOU
WORK


The phrase "a fun workplace" doesn't have to
be an oxymoron. Anyone can choose to create a fun
workplace. Both qualitative and quantitative data exist
to support our belief that a fun work environment can
have a positive impact on productivity, quality, customer
service, and job satisfaction. But still it is a choice
that each of us makes.

To infuse your work environment with a spirit of fun,
you must value fun as important, you must believe fun to
be essential.

If you want fun to seep into the fabric of your
company culture, start with yourself:

* make a conscious effort to lighten up,

* plan for fun,

* respond spontaneously to fun moments, and

* embrace fun as the chosen tone [for] your work
environment.

An organization's work environment is both tangible
and intangible. It consists of the physical structure of
your operation as well as the tone that is set within its
walls. It might seem difficult to get a handle on the tone
of your environment. It is, however, a real thing and can
have tremendous impact on your work.

An environment that fosters fun is characterized
by positive energy, high self-esteem, and team spirit.
People feel alive and want to give their best effort to the
task. Fun contributes to the creation of an environment
that nurtures and sustains what we call employee "want
to." You cannot put a price on "want to." Individuals can
be trained to do just about anything, but first they must
have the motivation. Fun can enhance motivation. If work
and the work environment are fun, the results will be
better.

To support your pursuit of a fun workplace and your quest for an enlivened workforce, we will share
with you stories, facts, ideas, and resources to stimulate
your fun juices for creating your own "Fun Company."


Work environment: Giggle while you work.

Ask yourself the question each day, "Are we
having fun yet?"


* * *

Weather can influence attitude in both a
positive and a negative way. I know that I
prefer clear skies and sunshine. I am happiest
and most productive during the long days of
summer, when the sun comes up early and stays
up late. Recently, as the seasons began to
change, our city experienced a week of dark and
rainy days that sent my spirits sagging. One
morning during this week, determined not to let
the weather affect my attitude, I burst into song.
I serenaded the office with a complete
rendition of "The Sun Will Come Out
Tomorrow" from the musical
Annie.

It made me feel better and it
was received with laughter. So
encouraged was I by the
response that I proceeded
through the lobby of our
office building in full tune,
stopping to sing my merry
melody to the security guard
and the post person. I was
chased back to my office
with friendly jeers and
robust cheers. There is
something to be said for
carrying a happy tune.


* * *

A California company promotes a fun and
healthy work environment by distributing
page-a-day calendars on different subjects to
each of their staff members. The calendars range
in subject matter from Wheel of Fortune puzzles
to Dilbert cartoons to gardening tips. Since
everyone's calendar is different, curiosity runs
high. Staff members have been known to take
breaks during the day to solve Wheel of Fortune
puzzles on someone else's calendar.

Many businesses are promoting a fun and
flexible work environment by implementing
a shortened work week during slow times of
the year. One San Francisco-based company has
summer work hours, closing the office at 1:00
p.m. on Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The free afternoon may be a time when staff
members go to a movie together or just have the
freedom to get a head start on their weekend.


* * *

"The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working
the moment you get up in the morning and does
not stop until you get to the office."
- Robert Frost


* * *

Find a way to symbolize your fun. Trowby
Brockman, an insurance industry
professional, and her team adopted a mascotùone
of those icky, soft rubber toy gorillas. He was
affectionately called Gordy. Gordy would show up
in unusual places, particularly when individuals
were having a rough day.

During one hurried flight to the home office,
Trowby reached into her raincoat pocket to find
Gordy. It put a smile on Trowby's face and
reminded her that she was traveling with the
support and good feelings of the team.

When she was transferred to another office,
Trowby continued to benefit from the loyalty of
Gordy and her team, who remembered to send
occasional cards and good wishes. You never
know where Gordy will turn up.


* * *

Taking one's self too
seriously can be deadly.
Tom Ziska realized that his
workplace, an architecture
firm, had become far too
serious and stressful, which
can be detrimental to the
creative nature of the work.
Tom went searching for
something that would allow people to vent their
frustrations in a healthy and humorous way. He
surprised the office with a pair of parakeets. They
are named after two famous architects - Le
Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Tom says
about his feathered friends: "Their daily chatter
and presence has done the trick. We give them
the run of the office. To date, no one has
complained about their little `presents.' When
things get heavy or trying, we ask them what they
would do. It's surprising how often they have
good answers."


* * *

Take advantage of every opportunity
to have fun.

Many nonprofit organizations use
the fundraising strategy
affectionately known as "jail
and bail." Individuals are
sent to "jail" for a couple of
hours. During their
incarceration, the "convicts" are required to raise
donations by soliciting "bail" from friends and
coworkers. When a community nonprofit organization
created a "lock-up," Jerry Kaminski seized
the chance to have some fun with his bosses: he
sent them to jail for an afternoon. Not only did it
become fun for the entire workplace but it also
raised money for an important community cause.


* * *

A survey of business school deans and business
executives revealed that humor plays a significant
part in the operation of a healthy, successful
business.


* * *

Having fun is being prepared to break out of
the box - in small ways as well as large. It
is doing the unexpected, being willing to look
foolish or silly: like singing out loud, or
cultivating funny voices, or bowling in the
hallway with beach balls and empty boxes. When
you take a chance, you break the tension and
facilitate an atmosphere of acceptance, freedom,
and trust.


* * *

Make a list of all the people and things that
bring you joy, satisfaction, pleasure,
fulfillment, and fun. Refer to it when you are
bored, upset, or just need a break. Joy lists are
great to exchange with others, too!


* * *

Many offices liven up their surroundings with
Koosh Balls, the rubbery, stringy balls that are fun
to play with and toss around. One of the more
popular Koosh toys is the Koosh Basketball - perfect
for the back of any office door. For
information regarding Koosh toys, call 800-75-KOOSH.
To view a few of the Koosh toys as well as
a fun array of other toys and gifts, visit the Kitty
Hawk Kites web site at www.kittyhawk.com.


* * *

When our office (like many offices) is stuck
with doing a mundane, repetitive job, we
often lighten up the atmosphere by listening to
music. Occasionally, the local radio station will
play an hour or an afternoon of "one-hit wonders,"
rock groups or singers who only made one
memorable song. When a new song comes on,
everyone in the office will try to
be the first to identify the
obscure artist. It doesn't
sound like much, but in our
small, competitive office an
afternoon can soar by as we
all attempt to be first to yell
out "Video Killed the Radio
Star! by the Buggles."

Harmless practical jokes can be a
memorable way to create fun in an office.
Here is a story of what happened at Printing
Industries of America, according to Association
Management magazine (October 1993).

On July 8, the building manager distributed a
routine memo: "This weekend the vendor who
installed the cabling in our building will
thoroughly clean all of our telephone lines by
injecting compressed air into the cables. To
control dust and debris that may emanate from
your telephone receivers, all staff members are
urged to store their telephones in their
wastebaskets or to procure special bags from the
production department before leaving work on
Friday, July 10." More than half the staff asked
for the special bags, and the building manager
had to get some clear trash can liners to
distribute. One woman forgot to procure a bag,
worried all weekend, and tried to reach the
building manager at home. Over the weekend,
the "Mirth Committee" tossed glitter and
electrical wire odds and ends into everyone's
telephone bag. On Monday morning the staff
finally got the message: It was a joke!

According to Polly LaBarre in the February
5, 1996, issue of Industry Week, Hal
Rosenbluth, CEO of Rosenbluth International
says, "The only way for us to continuously
provide solutions to the needs of an ever-changing
business world is to have the kind of environment
where spontaneity thrives." One way Hal
measures his organization's "happy quotient" is
by sending out crayons and a blank piece of
paper to employees, who draw their current view
of the company. He actually compares these
drawings every six months to measure any
changes in the way people feel about the
company.


* * *

"A fun work environment allows you to express
yourself freely in an appropriate way that
generates a feeling of comfort and association
among fellow employees."
ùFabian De Rozario, Donaghey Student Center,
University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Timothy Schrllhardt writes in the October 2,
1996, Wall Street Journal that many
companies are implementing programs to reduce
stress on the job. One of our favorites is that of
S. C. Johnson & Son in Racine, Wisconsin. The
company subsidizes in-house back and shoulder
massages in order to help reduce stress among
its forty-three customer service department
staffers. Corporate massages have become very
popular. For example, Barbara Neims, of
Manchester, Connecticut, started a massage
service aimed at corporate customers six years
ago and has since added six massage therapists
to serve her growing client list.


* * *

J. David Lewis's office in San Francisco
believes that it pays to spend a little money
on fun and has come up with the following ideas:

* Put up funny art in the office and change it
when it gets stale.

* Take everyone out to lunch once a month.

* Provide candy at meetings.

* Make sure there is plenty of light in the office.
(The "jail look" doesn't facilitate a productive
workplace.)

* Wear casual dress on Friday.

* Work more hours during the week so there is
time for a party on Friday afternoon.

* Give out mock award certificates for funny
things like "Best Hair Day."

* Pay for everyone to go to a conference once a
year.

David writes, "Perhaps the
biggest factor in creating fun
in the workplace is organization.
If everybody is always
overworked or behind, they
will be stressed out. I think
management needs to set
realistic production goals and
provide competent direction, as
well as the resources to support
achievement of the goals.
Given this structure, even
the most challenging work
can be fun and not
stressful."

Josie Kramer of the
Cleveland Public Schools
Adult Education Department
told us the story of a friend who
collects all types of hats - baseball,
fishing, beach, Sunday best. She
brought them to work one day
and left them tacked to the wall
by the coffee station. She
posted a sign that said, "Take
one and try wearing someone
else's hat for a day." It set a
great tone that day and created
lively conversation.


* * *

Joann Dixon of the Women's Institute for
Leadership Development believes strongly in
not taking things too seriously. She has shared
her philosophy within her organization and they
have adopted a "Live Fearlessly" attitude. They
support their beliefs with a full-day training
workshop in which they practice dealing with
difficulties in a resilient manner. They say, "If no
one is going to die, `it' can't be all that serious."
They feel this helps to take the threat out of any
situation and allows individuals the freedom to
think and to find positive solutions.


* * *

Tina Laslo of Avery Dennison in Hamilton,
Ohio, wrote that the company installed a
basketball hoop in their parking lot and started a
tournament for employees during lunch break.
For an investment of less than one hundred
dollars, employees had a great way to interact
and to blow off steam.


* * *

"Humor is a spontaneous, wonderful bit of an
outburst that just comes. It's unbridled, it's
unplanned, it's full of surprises."
- Erma Bombeck

James Mathers, executive vice president of
Phillip Day Maddock, believes that while
income is certainly a driving force in many
successful organizations, happiness is also a
front-runner. He says, "You can have happy
employees without depleting the organization's
coveted bottom line. People who realize that it is
okay to laugh a little, joke a little, and actually
have fun with the daily grind are not always
looking for the cash reward."


* * *

Make fun part of your company values.

Cohen and Company, an accounting firm
dedicated to the special needs of smaller and
growing enterprises, believes that their success
stems from their core values. They believe
strongly that the secret of their success and well-being
lies in an adherence to the values of service,
quality, innovation, and fun! Every employee is
coached in the values and proudly wears a lapel
pin with the acronym SQIF. They have dared to be
different in a most serious industry.

Ninety-six percent of the executives surveyed by
Accountemps believed that people with a sense of
humor do better at their jobs than those who have
little or no sense of humor. Studies have also
shown that people who enjoy their work are more
productive and creative, in addition to
experiencing greater job satisfaction.
-"HR Focus," February 1993


* * *

Angela Wiley of the Blonder Company
reports that the order department at
Blonder plays bingo at least once a week. It's not
just regular bingo, however, it's Blonder's Bingo!
The Blonder Bingo card consists of a series of
customer account numbers, shipping vias, book
names, and other company terminology.

Like regular Bingo, the object of the game is
to X items vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
to win. An order rep must be available to take
incoming customer calls in order to play and in
order to win. The fun thing about this game is
that more than one person can win. Prizes
include gift certificates to local restaurants,
lunch or breakfast with a supervisor, Blonder
logo products, and other fun items.

The order department's customer hold time
has improved by 20 percent and the customer
abandonment rate by 50 percent on Blonder
Bingo days.


* * *

As a people-oriented company, CDA
Management Consulting, Inc., believes that
children will have a positive attitude toward work
and toward working parents if work is a fun place
to be. CDA is a consulting firm that specializes in
maximizing the performance of its clients' most
valuable and often most expensive asset, its
people, and this is reflected in two of its well-known
practices.

Children and Babies Welcome. Like most
companies, CDA has a no-solicitation policy, but
vendors, clients, and guests know that children
and babies are always welcome. When a child
arrives on site, work stops to give the child a
welcome. Toys appear, and for the more precocious,
a trip on the Internet is offered. Bobby,
one of the more frequent visitors (the vice
president's son) has mastered signing on to the
computer, getting to the Internet, and finding the
latest scoop on Goosebumps by popular
children's author R. L. Stine.

(Continues...)