In this month’s issue of “Talent Management” an article about collaboration struck a chord.  Although there will always be a need for formal learning, given how fast-paced and ever-changing the world is, collaborative learning is gaining increasing popularity.  Employees are able to leverage each other when sharing much-needed knowledge.    The article states that three building blocks are needed to have “an effective collaborative learning environment:  people, processes and tools.”

People must have a way to share knowledge, as well as, create new knowledge and solutions.  Given that people, not a specified process, drives collaboration,  it is important to consider how to structure your collaborative environment.  “Collaborative learning technologies don’t have to be complicated.  They can be content management systems, social networks, instant messaging or cloud computing technology that is easily accessible to everyone.”

“Six traps that destroy collaboration:

1. Lack of compromise
2. Rigid organizational structures
3. Convoluted communication lines
4. Office setup
5. Negativity
6. Ownership and control issues.”

Measuring collaboration:

1. “Quality
2. Learning effectiveness
3. Job impact
4. Business results
5. Return on investment.

Check out the entire article for full explanations.  Add a comment if have seen any of the above ideas in action!