I am not a fan of brainstorming. But I am a fan of purposeful collaboration. And to some this may appear a contradiction. In an excellent article in a recent New York Times, Susan Cain explores the dangers of groupthink and the horrors of noisy, distracted offices. She suggests out that true genius needs solitude and time to think. Perhaps academia and ideas do? It is an interesting topic for debate. But we need to be clear – innovation does not need seclusion and isolation. In fact – it needs better, smarter, more open, and dynamic conversations and sharing of information.
As the science author Matt Ridley famously pointed out, ‘ideas have sex’ – and economic and business history is littered with examples of pioneering that was only achieved by the accidental mixing, the casual alliance or the perfect partnership – at just the right time. And another best-selling author, the prominent business psychologist Jaclyn Kostner makes it crystal clear;
“Global companies that collaborate better – perform better. Those that collaborate less, do not perform as well. It’s just that simple.” – Jaclyn Kostner.
Whilst it may require some peace and some introspection to think through a problem – building a better solution is best achieved with a blend of talents, insights and knowledge. It’s as much an art as a science. This point was explained brilliantly by Joe de Palma from BizShift Trends in 2011. Customers, suppliers, industry allies, IP owners and agencies, the team from the local firm – and yes, even those guys across the office – may have a valuable spark that will cause your innovation fire to burn. Brainstorming and the resulting rash and loud groupthink that it so often encourages is however highly damaging. And that is why collaboration and innovation – is not the same as groupthink or brainstorming.
While business was once all about keeping one step ahead of your rivals, in today’s socially networked society, working together can lead to greater success. Steering the enlightened path is a new C-word that has emerged as the way forward for business: Collaboration. In today’s hyper-socialized economy, it’s not who you know that really counts, but who you don’t. The priority is to break down the barriers that stand between them and their employees, their customers, their partners, their vendors – even their rivals. National boundaries are being bridged, corporate walls breached, expertise shared. Google’s Eric Schmidt’s prevailing mantra is – ‘collaborate or perish’.
For more information on collaboration, innovation and the CollaborativeEdge Programme please visit benchstone.co.uk and andrewarmour.com. Contact Andrew Armour andrew@benchtone.co.uk
RECOMMENDED LINKS
http://www.benchstone.co.uk/What-we-do/The-CollaborativeEdge/
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Andrew Armour – Collaboration Drives Success
Andrew Armour is the founder of Benchstone Limited and a specialist in marketing partnerships, collaborations and innovation. For over twenty years he has been managing critical marketing programmes, licensing and media content deals for companies such Walt Disney, TVNZ, America’s Cup, OfficeMax and Yell.com. He currently provides consulting, management, workshop and training services – and can be contacted by email.
