The Tribe Report 9. The Collaboration Issue | Page 3

FALL 2014 IS THE GOAL OF COLLABORATION A NEW WHEEL? OR TO AVOID REINVENTING IT? Both, of course. It’s hard to talk about collaboration without mentioning innovation. In fact, one of the primary business motivations to collaborate is the desire to create a new product, process or idea. When you can bring together subject-matter experts from disparate disciplines or areas of expertise and have them share their perspectives on a particular challenge, you’re likely to end up with a more innovative solution. On the other hand, companies promote collaboration in the hopes of discovering existing products, processes or ideas that could be repurposed somewhere else. Sharing best practices across silos, whether those silos are composed of different brands, business units, acquisitions, geographic locations or even departments, can help the company build on its own successes. Our cover story in this issue explores recommendations from employees nationwide on how companies can lower the hurdles to collaboration across silos. VOLUME FOUR • ISSUE THREE What is Tribe? We’re so glad you asked. Tribe is an internal communications agency. We develop strategic plans and design creative vehicles to build employee engagement and the internal brand. You can see some of our work at www.tribeinc.com. If you’d like to talk about what Tribe can do for you, please contact Steve Baskin at 404-256-5858 or [email protected]. Editor Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin [email protected] The Spotlight feature in this issue is on Virgin America and their program to boost collaboration. In Best Practices, we compare notes from Amex OPEN, South African Breweries and Vitec Videocom on the roles collaboration plays in their organizations. Contributing Writers Stephen Burns [email protected] Steve Baskin [email protected] The Tribe Showcase in this issue features a daylong collaboration session we led in New York with clients from Calvin Klein, Speedo, Tommy Hilfiger, Olga and more. Our other regular features share additional insights and information related to collaboration, and hopefully include an idea or two you’ll find useful. We continue to hear kind words and enthusiastic feedback from our growing list of readers, across the country and around the world. If you have a best practice you’d like to share with your peers, please let us know, and we may be able to include you in a subsequent issue. Brittany Silberman [email protected] Matt Maggart [email protected] The Tribe Report is published by Tribe Inc., 2100 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 710, Atlanta, GA 30328. Subscriptions are free of charge but limited to a small group of professionals working in internal communications or brand culture for large companies. A digital version of each issue is available to the public at www. tribeinc.com/best-practices.html. For reprints, please call Tribe at 404-256-5858. Produced and printed in the USA. ©Copyright 2014 by Tribe Inc.