How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions

by David Straus, Thomas C. Layton (Foreword)

Every day we work with others to solve problems and make decisions, but the experience is often stressful, frustrating, and inefficient. In How to Make Collaboration Work, David Straus, a pioneer in the field of group problem solving, introduces five principles of collaboration that have been proven successful time and again in nearly every conceivable setting. Straus draws on his thirty years of personal and professional experience to show how these principles have been applied by organizations as diverse as Ford Motor Company, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston Public Schools, Kaiser Permanente, the city of Denver, and many others. How to Make Collaboration Work shows how collaboration can become a joy rather than a chore-a kind of chemical reaction that releases far more energy than it consumes.

Genres: Business

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Steven]

This is my second read through of this book in 10 years. I find the diagrams around planning collaborative actions extremely helpful in visualizing the process. This is a very straightforward book that distills a very complex skill.

[John]

Very interesting book that is helpful in assisting large or complex organizations with their endless, pointeless meetings. Some great tips and techniques for making meetings productive.

[Craig]

Another book I use in my work and life.

[Jeff Lampson]

The foundational models for Essential Facilitation... Good stuff.