The Tribe Report 9. The Collaboration Issue | Page 9

IS BEING IN THE SAME ROOM ESSENTIAL FOR COLLABORATION? A lot of people seem to think so. Tribe recently fielded a national survey with employees of companies with workforces of more than 5,000. Only 8 percent of our respondents agreed with the statement that face-to-face communication is “not at all necessary” for collaboration. More than 80 percent said it was “extremely, very or moderately necessary.” Unfortunately, getting people face-to-face is often impractical when trying to collaborate across divisions, departments or business units that might be located in more than one building, if not in different countries. That’s where internal communication can help. When we discuss collaboration without the benefit of face-to-face contact, there are a number of hurdles to cross. One element is providing practical ways to engage in the collaborative process, so that two or more people who are not in the same place can actively work together to create a new solution or scale an existing one. For the collaborative process, our respondents named a range of useful technologies, including video conferencing, intranet forums, idea-sharing software, internal social media, instant messaging and plain old email. According to one comment, “There’s no need to meet face-to-face with all the technology we have available.” But before engaging in the collaborative process, people prefer to know each other as humans. Collaboration is easier when people feel a personal connection. Sharing ideas carries with it the risk of rejection, or at the very least of vulnerability. It’s human nature to be more comfortable sharing when there’s a level of trust and familiarity. Comments from employees in our study included: “It’s easier to be open with people you have a more human connection with.” “Much easier to collaborate with those whom you feel connected to.” “(You need to build) trust and respect.” “Sometimes I’ve only met people in a kickoff meeting and the rest of the communication happens over the phone or via email. But those kickoff meetings really help to establish a relationship.” Yet being in the same room isn’t the only way to create a human connection. Some employees, particularly introverts (who also tend to be creative and innovative personality types) may find it easier to connect online or via email. The lack of face-to-face exposure makes some people feel more comfortable sharing ideas and making themselves vulnerable. Internal communications can help open windows into other silos as well. Simply seeing the face of co-workers, whether it’s in the online employee directory, an internal magazine or a video, helps people connect. Knowing they enjoy salsa dancing or rock climbing or dog agility competitions or whatever it is they do for fun can build a sense of connection. Even sharing a funny comment on a conference call can help connect remote colleagues. FALL 2014 | 9