Collaboration Strategies
Sandra McIntyre, Program Director, MWDL
March 27, 2013
Myth or Fact?
1
Collaboration is difficult and
takes a lot more energy.
Myth or Fact?
1
Collaboration is difficult and
takes a lot more energy.
Myth. Initially, it can be difficult, but
typically it produces more energy than it
consumes.
Myth or Fact?
2
Collaboration can result in
better outcomes and lower costs.
Myth or Fact?
2
Collaboration can result in
better outcomes and lower costs.
Fact.
Myth or Fact?
3
You shouldn’t borrow other
people’s ideas.
Myth or Fact?
3
You shouldn’t borrow other
people’s ideas.
Myth. Re-using winning ideas is a good idea
and usually part of the intent of the
originator. Acknowledge the basis and build
on it to improve it.
Myth or Fact?
4
Everything should be done
collaboratively.
Myth or Fact?
4
Everything should be done
collaboratively.
Myth. Some tasks are suited for individual
or very small group effort.
Myth or Fact?
5
All collaborators must work on the
core team. All collaborators must
have the same high level of
commitment to the project.
Myth or Fact?
5
All collaborators must work on the
core team. All collaborators must
have the same high level of
commitment to the project.
Myth. While it is helpful to have a small core
team, other collaborators can contribute at
different levels of commitment.
Myth or Fact?
6
Collaboration means all decisions
must be 100% endorsed by every
stakeholder.
Myth or Fact?
6
Collaboration means all decisions
must be 100% endorsed by every
stakeholder.
Myth. Collaborators will participate in
different aspects of the project and may
not agree with all of them.
Myth or Fact?
7
The ideal size for a core team is 58 participants.
Myth or Fact?
7
The ideal size for a core team is 58 participants.
Fact. This size is large enough to share the
work but small enough to communicate and
establish common values.
Myth or Fact?
8
Collaboration means
no one takes the lead, and
everyone does the same work.
Myth or Fact?
8
Collaboration means
no one takes the lead, and
everyone does the same work.
Myth. Leadership takes different forms
within the core team. Team members will
gravitate toward tasks that they can lead
Myth or Fact?
9
It is desirable in a collaboration to
create a sense of an “in crowd”.
Myth or Fact?
9
It is desirable in a collaboration to
create a sense of an “in crowd”.
Myth. This is a natural tendency within many
small groups, but productive collaborations
will remain open to new people.
Myth or Fact?
10
You shouldn’t share how you
succeeded with others. This is
unseemly bragging.
Myth or Fact?
10
You shouldn’t share how you
succeeded with others. This is
unseemly bragging.
Myth. Others are relying you to share your
successes so they can repeat them and
build on them.
Scenario #1
• Quality Control groups at a local
manufacturing plant
–
–
–
–
Across departments
Problem-solving for intractable problems
Group proposals
My group’s proposal: recycling cloth spools –
saved $10,000 in first six months
Scenario #2
• MWDL Task Forces
–
–
–
–
–
Metadata Task Force
Training Task Force
Outreach Task Force
Institutional Repositories Task Force
In formation: Geospatial Metadata Task
Force
Success Story #3
• Digital Public Library of America
–
–
–
–
Workstreams
Portal
Policies
In process: Digital Hubs Pilot Project
MWDL Collaborators
College and
University Libraries
MWDL
College and
University
Libraries
MWDL
Archives and
Historical
Societies
Museums
College and
University
Libraries
Government
Agencies
MWDL
Archives and
Historical
Societies
Museums
Other
Collaboratives
College
and
University
Libraries
LDS
Church
Libraries
Content
Portals
Digitization
Vendors
Museums
MWDL
Interns
MLIS
programs
Legislators
Archives
and
Historical
Societies
Government
Agencies
National
Funders
Digital Public
Library of
America
Other
Collaboratives
College
and
University
Libraries
LDS
Church
Libraries
Museums
Archives
and
Historical
Societies
MWDL
Content
Portals
Government
Agencies
Vendors
Interns
MLIS
programs
Legislators
Collaborators
Community Tree Planting
Collaborator
Contribution
See Handout #1
Collaborators
Your Project
Collaborator
Contribution
See Handout #2
Collaboration Process
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What’s the exact issue?
What’s been done already?
What issues are in the background?
What is the first objective?
Do we need a pilot project?
Who can contribute?
Who will influence the adoption of our
change? What do they need to know or
have?
Collaboration Process
• Your process for collaborating beyond
your core team
– First three steps
– Issues that have already emerged
Choosing
“If you want to go fast,
go alone.
If you want to go far,
go together.”
– African proverb
Questions?
• Sandra McIntyre
Program Director
Mountain West Digital Library
801.585.0969
[email protected]