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Collaboration works when community thrives

August 26, 2008 by Dennis Howlett · 3 Comments 

Right now I’m gearing up for TechEd and DemoJam. This is a technical conference where I am on a couple of panels. Who would have thought that a suit (and a bean counter by trade at that!) would qualify let alone turn up for for geek gig. I’ve been before but this is a special occasion because the team I’ve been part of the last two-three months has been selected to demonstrate ESME in front of a highly critical audience.

I can’t say too much about it because there are some surprises in store but the bigger story is how the project went from casual conversation to a project that has not only ended up as a product in less than 90 days but also as an exercise in the power of community.

The long version (and it is long as I’ve written it case study style) is over at SDN. The short version goes something like this:

  • When affinity groups decide to swing into action they can become powerful forces for delivery.
  • Communities allow informal, loose networks to self organize in ways that seem to attract the best people for the job.
  • Since all projects require expertise, the ‘experts’ also self organize when necessary to form sub-groups.
  • There is no competition among players because there is a common goal but cooperation and collaboration is intense.
  • Defined goals and strict deadlines concentrate the mind on what needs to get done.
  • Regular communications across a variety of channels including phone, Skype, email, Twitter, GoogleGroups and others complement one another.

How much friction might be removed if these forms of self organization were allowed to flourish? That’s the burning question. We’ve found that almost all the friction you’d expect in a project has vanished because the electronic means of communicating create their own audit trails and they serve to move us along.

There is however a gotcha - community precedes collaboration and cooperation. It cannot be forced or imposed. Imagine therefore if the Big Four could get their act together. It’s unlikely given what I know, but the model I’ve described is one that I now know is proven. There is still much to glean and learn but this is a solid start. It is a form of emergent behavior but I wouldn’t go overboard on that aspect.

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