The collaborative enterprise, or your project driven by collective intelligence

Is the collaborative enterprise the new Eldorado for businesses? Collaborative working and internal communication will be a key issue in 2020.

But what exactly is a collaborative enterprise? What are its challenges? How can you leverage collective intelligence to drive your projects and teams forward?

Work organization, information flow, change management, productivity... this article explains the term "collaborative enterprise" and distills tips for a 2.0 company.

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Collaborative intelligence: defining this engine of corporate competitiveness

What is collaborative intelligence? Also known as " collective intelligence", it refers to the mobilization and harnessing of all employees' skills and knowledge to apply them to a common project.

It enables :

• emulation,
• innovation,
• the emergence and sharing of new ideas,
• participative management,
• to bring out the best in everyone, by engaging employees.

👉 Last but not least, collaborative intelligence helps you get out of the box and take your projects to the next level.

Collaborative intelligence: an example for a better understanding

Collaborative enterprise: definition

What is a collaborative enterprise?

A collaborative enterprise is an organization that relies on collaborative work to move forward. In other words, it values :

• teamwork, both within and between departments,
• communication and information sharing,
• listening to and considering every employee, so that no idea is discarded,
• the use of digital tools,
• streamlined processes and workflows to optimize project management and extract more value from each individual.

In short, a collaborative enterprise takes advantage of digital transformation to break down business silos and adopt a more cross-functional work organization where information flows more freely.

Why become a collaborative enterprise?

There are several advantages to a collaborative approach to business:

• information flows (better) and your projects progress faster thanks to better communication;
• the sharing of best practices between departments helps you to adopt the best working methods and increase productivity;
• you save time: information is centralized and available at all times;
• you empower your staff: everyone has a role to play and a mission to accomplish, on which the work of others depends;
• the company is more open: no more working in isolation, teamwork is now the norm;
• you create a corporate culture based on communication, benevolence, empathy and performance.

The challenges of collaborative working

Rethinking management and the role of managers

A collaborative enterprise can hardly be organized according to a pyramidal model which, by definition, structures the company in relatively hermetic layers. As a result, communication is hampered, information doesn't always circulate smoothly, there's little room for human interaction, and so on.

✅ Lean towards a more horizontal, even collaborative management style. The manager's role should also be reviewed: from order-giver to leader, accompanying the team in a process of empowerment.

Advantages :

• listening to employees and empathy,
• anticipation of risks and action plans to avoid them,
• work organization closer to the needs of teams and the company,
• better communication, which promotes project progress.

Encouraging the flow of information

Real-time information sharing and knowledge management:

• facilitate coordination,
• enhance responsiveness,
• promote decision-making,
• enable anticipation between employees, but also with customers or partners,
• encourage ideation and innovation.

Providing a work environment conducive to collaboration

How can you encourage collaboration in your company if each member of staff is isolated in an office, with no means of communicating with the rest of the team? Hardly.

✅ Here are a few tips to make your work environment a collaborative breeding ground:

• arrange your workplace to encourage all kinds of exchanges: offices in close proximity for people working on the same project, for example ;
  
• in the case of remote teams, telecommuting (or confinement...): think of virtual places of exchange (messaging, videoconferencing, collaborative tools, etc.) so that collaboration doesn't stop once the office door is crossed;
  
• plan spaces dedicated to innovation and idea-sharing: modular furniture, whiteboards, interactive screens... in short, everything you need to boost collective intelligence and co-creation;
  
• explore the flex office;
  
• paradoxically, democratize telecommuting: one or more days a week, employees can enjoy the peace and quiet of their own homes, and come up with new ideas without interruption.

Projecting a positive image to attract talent

Are you struggling to recruit the best talent? Another positive aspect of the collaborative enterprise is that it can change your brand image.

The famous generations Y and Z are very sensitive to the collaborative aspect of a company (processes, project mode, tools) when choosing the organization that will benefit from their skills. Think about it!

Accompanying change linked to digital transformation

The digital age is no stranger to the emergence of collaborative enterprises. The very organization of companies is being turned upside down to make more room for digital practices:

• new organizations,
• new professions and new missions,
• new digital tools to master,
• new work processes, etc.

All of which can be confusing for your employees. From top management to operational teams, the whole company is involved. Anticipate and support change so that collaboration rhymes with acceleration (of your growth).

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Essential tools for the collaborative enterprise

There are a plethora of tools for making an organization collaborative... without spending your time dealing with emails. Here's a selection to get you started:

• project management tools for a macro view of planning and progress. Examples: Planisware Orchestra or Wrike;
  
• task management tools for visualizing tasks and assignments, and creating collaborative to-do lists. Example: monday.com ;
  
• corporate collaborative platforms to centralize all information exchanges within a single tool;
  
• EDM (electronic document management) software for editing, storing, archiving or sharing documents online;
  
• communication tools to access messaging or videoconferencing, for example.

👉 A company doesn't become collaborative overnight. Take the time to understand your needs and priorities so you can move forward at your own pace, make the right decisions and get change adopted.

There's no need to multiply tools: choose the ones that suit you!

Updated article, originally published by Grégory Coste in April 2017.