Case Study: (Dis)harmony in action
Navigating the waters of collaboration and conflict in organisational success
Preamble - Jason and the Argonauts
In the annals of Greek mythology, a compelling tale of collaboration unfolds with the saga of Jason and the Argonauts in their quest for the coveted Golden Fleece. Tasked with a formidable mission to retrieve the symbol of authority and kingship from the distant land of Colchis, Jason assembled a diverse cadre of legendary heroes, including Herakles, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux.
Amidst their perilous journey, a moment of paramount collaboration occurred at the notorious Clashing Rocks, situated in the treacherous Bosporus Strait. These colossal rocks were notorious for mercilessly crushing anything attempting to traverse the passage. Faced with this seemingly insurmountable obstacle, the Argonauts, guided by the strategic mind of Jason, devised a collaborative plan.
Heeding the counsel of the blind seer Phineas, the Argonauts released a dove, observing its flight through the perilous rocks. Timing their passage with precision based on the dove's safe navigation, the Argonauts emerged triumphant, having successfully navigated the Clashing Rocks.
This mythic episode underscores the significance of collaboration among the Argonauts. Each hero contributed their unique skills, knowledge, and strengths, showcasing the power of teamwork in overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. The tale of Jason and the Argonauts with the Golden Fleece resonates as a testament to the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving and the strength found in unity.
Tuesday January 30th, 2024 there was a conference organised by the Financial Times Live Events titled A Collaborativer Approach to AI Implementation and Regulation. This triggered a thought to evaluate what ‘collaborative’ actually might mean.
We will use this mythical narrative as a trigger to discuss a couple of (deliberately well-known!) case studies, one of great collaboration and one of bad collaboration and their (predictable) outcomes.
We will aim to highlight key learning points from these real life examples.
We will use this definition of ethical collaboration in the context of this article:
Ethical collaboration in a business context refers to the cooperative effort of individuals or groups within an organisation working together in a challenging environment towards a common goal, creating clarity and effectiveness by leveraging diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives aligned with the complexity of the tasks to achieve collective success within our ethical values set.
Case Study 1 - The power of good collaborative behaviour in organisations - Google’s success
Collaboration stands as a cornerstone of success in the contemporary business landscape, exemplified by companies such as Google that have prospered through fostering a culture encouraging teamwork and open communication. Within organisations that prioritise collaboration, individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines converge to share ideas, skills, and perspectives. The success narrative of Google, particularly in the development of Google Maps, serves as a compelling case study illustrating the positive outcomes of effective collaboration.
1.1 The Google Model: Breaking Down Silos
Google's corporate culture is constructed upon the principles of collaboration, vividly reflected in its approach to workplace design. The company's open workspaces and communal areas are intentionally designed to facilitate spontaneous interactions among employees. These physical spaces serve as catalysts for the exchange of ideas across different teams and departments.
In the case of Google Maps, engineers, designers, and product managers collaborated seamlessly to create a revolutionary mapping tool. The success of this project can be attributed to Google's commitment to breaking down silos, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, and valuing diverse perspectives. By fostering an environment where employees feel empowered to share their expertise and collaborate across traditional boundaries, Google has harnessed the collective intelligence of its workforce, resulting in innovative products that have transformed industries.
1.2 The Role of Collaboration in Innovation
Google's collaborative success underscores the critical role collaboration plays in driving innovation within organisations. When individuals from various disciplines work together, they bring unique insights and skills to the table, sparking creativity and problem-solving. The synergy generated by collaborative efforts often leads to breakthroughs that might not have been possible in a more isolated or competitive environment.
Furthermore, a culture of collaboration promotes a sense of shared purpose and collective responsibility. When employees feel that their contributions are valued, they are more likely to engage actively in collaborative endeavours, leading to a positive feedback loop of innovation and success.
Case Study 2 - The pitfalls of unethical collaborative behaviour - The Enron debacle
While effective collaboration can propel an organisation to new heights, poor and unethical collaborative behaviour can have devastating consequences. The case of Enron serves as a cautionary tale of how a toxic internal culture, characterised by dishonesty, lack of transparency, and cut-throat competition, can lead to the downfall of even the most seemingly successful companies.
2.1 Enron's Culture of Individualism and Lack of Transparency
Enron was once lauded as a corporate giant, but its demise was swift and spectacular. The root cause of Enron's collapse was its culture, which prioritised individual achievements over collaboration and transparency. Employees were incentivised to focus on personal success, often at the expense of the greater good of the company.
The lack of collaboration at Enron was exacerbated by a culture of secrecy and information hoarding. Rather than sharing knowledge and insights, employees engaged in deceptive practices, manipulating financial data and concealing debts through complex partnerships. This lack of transparency and collaboration ultimately led to a financial scandal of unprecedented proportions.
2.2 Lessons from Enron: The Dark Side of Misguided Collaboration
Enron's case highlights the darker side of collaboration when driven by unethical motives. Instead of fostering a culture of trust and teamwork, Enron's collaboration was marked by deceit and manipulation. The misuse of collaboration tools and practices, such as exploiting financial structures for personal gain, serves as a stark reminder that collaboration, without ethical foundations, can have dire consequences.
The Enron case study underscores the importance of not only promoting collaboration but also ensuring that it aligns with ethical principles. Organisations must cultivate a collaborative culture that values transparency, integrity, and a collective commitment to the company's long-term success.
INTERMEZZO - A model for Ethical Business Collaboration: The Five Key Dimensions
Ethical collaboration in a business context is a dynamic process that involves five key dimensions, each contributing to the overall success of the collaborative effort.
Let’s look at those dimensions in more detail.
Diverse Perspectives - Collaboration begins with embracing a spectrum of viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds within our teams. A diverse set of perspectives fosters creativity and innovation, as individuals bring unique insights to the table. This dimension emphasises the importance of appreciating and leveraging differences in opinions and approaches.
Constructive Challenge - Encouraging constructive challenge is integral to effective collaboration. It involves the open exchange of ideas and viewpoints, even when they diverge. Constructive challenge stimulates critical thinking and helps refine solutions. This dimension highlights the need for a culture where team members feel comfortable questioning assumptions and proposing alternative perspectives.
Cooperative Effort - At the core of collaboration is the concept of cooperative effort. Our team members actively engage with one another, working together towards a shared goal. This dimension emphasises the importance of effective communication, coordination, and mutual support to ensure that the collective effort is greater than the sum of individual contributions.
Diverse Skills & Knowledge - Successful collaboration draws on a range of skills and knowledge from our team members with varied expertise. This dimension underscores the significance of assembling our teams with complementary abilities, where each member brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to contribute. Diverse skills and knowledge enhance problem-solving capabilities and the overall adaptability of our teams.
Collective Success - The ultimate aim of collaboration is to achieve collective success. This dimension underscores the importance of aligning individual and team goals with our broader organisational objectives. The success of our teams is measured not only by the attainment of specific targets but also by the positive impact on our organisation as a whole.
In summary, an effective model for ethical business collaboration in our organisations integrates diverse perspectives, encourages constructive challenge, promotes cooperative effort, leverages diverse skills and knowledge, and ultimately strives for collective success. Embracing these dimensions creates a collaborative environment that is not only resilient and adaptive but also conducive to driving innovation and achieving sustainable outcomes within our own and societal set of ethical values.
Cultivating a Culture of Ethical Collaboration: A Holistic Approach
The establishment of a culture of ethical collaboration, as evidenced by the case studies of Google and Enron, can be comprehensively understood through the Five Key Dimensions. Each dimension plays a crucial role in shaping the ethical fabric of an organisation's collaborative environment.
Diverse Perspectives - Google's success story underscores the significance of integrating diverse perspectives. The company's emphasis on fostering a culture that values diverse backgrounds and experiences has resulted in innovative solutions, such as the development of Google Maps. Conversely, Enron's downfall serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the consequences of a lack of diverse perspectives and a culture that prioritised individual gains over collective well-being.
Constructive Challenge - Both Google and Enron provide insights into the importance of constructive challenge within the context of ethical collaboration. Google's collaborative environment encourages open dialogue and constructive dissent, leading to innovative breakthroughs. In contrast, Enron's failure can be partly attributed to a lack of constructive challenge, with a culture that discouraged questioning unethical practices.
Cooperative Effort - The case studies illustrate the centrality of cooperative effort in ethical collaboration. Google's collaborative success in developing products like Google Maps is rooted in the cooperative synergy of diverse teams. On the other hand, Enron's lack of cooperative effort, marked by internal competition rather than collaboration, contributed to its ethical and financial downfall.
Diverse Skills & Knowledge - The dimension of diverse skills and knowledge is exemplified by Google's strategic assembly of multidisciplinary teams, each contributing unique expertise. Enron, in contrast, suffered from a lack of diversity in skills and knowledge, with an overemphasis on financial engineering at the expense of ethical considerations.
Collective Success - The ultimate goal of ethical collaboration is collective success, aligning individual and team achievements with ethical principles. Google's success demonstrates how ethical collaboration contributes to sustainable collective success, positively impacting the organisation and its stakeholders. Enron's case, conversely, reveals the dire consequences of sacrificing ethical principles for short-term individual gains.
In conclusion, by embracing diverse perspectives, encouraging constructive challenge, promoting cooperative effort, leveraging diverse skills and knowledge, and striving for collective success, organisations can cultivate a culture of ethical collaboration. The lessons from Google and Enron serve as poignant reminders of the impact these dimensions have on the ethical fabric of an organisation, shaping its trajectory and legacy in our business landscape.
Keeping the finger on our Ethical Collaboration pulse
Finally we need to explore wow could we determine whether our collaboration efforts is good or bad? In hindsight, like with Enron, it is of course easy to see what went right and what went wrong, but it seems to me it is very important that we have some ways of monitoring whether we are in the right or the wrong track.
I would like to propose some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) we could use, mapped to the five ethical collaboration dimensions.
They re summarise in this table.
Here is a description of these KPIs by Key Dimension. These have been selected, because many businesses already collect thiss type of measurements in many of these areas. The key is to do this consciously and help our leaders focus on ensuring we collaborate well.
Diverse Perspectives
Employee Diversity Metrics: Track the diversity of our employees in terms of gender, ethnicity, and background.
Inclusive Decision-Making: Measure the frequency of diverse voices contributing to our decision-making processes.
Constructive Challenge:
Issue Resolution Time: Monitor the time taken to resolve our ethical concerns or challenges raised by our team members.
Employee Feedback: Measure the frequency and quality of feedback provided by our employees on ethical matters.
Cooperative Effort:
Cross-Functional Collaboration Index: Assess the frequency of collaboration across our different departments or teams.
Project Success Rates: Track the success rates of our projects to gauge the effectiveness of cooperative efforts.
Diverse Skills & Knowledge:
Skill Diversity Index: Evaluate the diversity of skills within our teams and departments.
Training Participation Rates: Monitor our employee participation in training programs aimed at enhancing diverse skills and knowledge.
Collective Success:
Ethical Performance Metrics: Establish key ethical performance indicators aligned with our organisational values.
Stakeholder Satisfaction: Measure satisfaction levels among our stakeholders, including customers, employees, and investors.
Monitoring these KPIs allows our organisations to assess and enhance our performance in each dimension of ethical collaboration. Regular evaluations provide valuable insights into our organisation's ethical health, helping to identify areas for improvement and ensuring alignment with our ethical principles and long-term success.
This way, we can cultivate the right type of collaboration, and become more like a Google and avoid becoming the disaster that was Enron.
After all, millenia later, people are still talking with admiration and awe about Jason and the Argonauts, so lets embark to find our own Golden Fleece and use it for the best!
Do you have examples of good or bad collaboration? In your own businesses or perhaps in businesses you have worked with?