Page 72 - Using MIS

40 Chapter 2 Collaboration Information Systems

Guideline Example
Be specific. “I was confused until I got to Section 2” rather than
“The whole thing is a disorganized mess.”
Oer suggestions. “Consider moving Section 2 to the beginning of the document.”
Avoidpersonal Never: “Only an idiot would miss that point … or write that document.”
comments.
Strive for balance. “I thought Section 2 was particularly good. What do you think about
moving it to the start of the document?”

Question your “Why doI feel so angry about the comment he just made?
emotions. What’s going on? Is my anger helping me?”
Do not dominate. If there are five members of the group, unlessyou have special
expertise, you are entitled to just 20 percent of the words/time.

Demonstrate a “I know this is painful,but if we can make these changes our result
Figure 2-2 commitment to will be so much better.” or
“Ouch. I really didn’t want to have to redo that section, but if you all
the group.
Guidelines for Providing and think it’s important, I’ll do it.”
Receiving Critical Feedback
So, consider this thought experiment. Your company is planning to build a new facility that
is critical for the success of a new product line and will create 300 new jobs. The county gov-
ernment won’t issue a building permit because the site is prone to landslides. Your engineers
believe your design overcomes that hazard, but your chief financial officer (CFO) is concerned
about possible litigation in the event there is a problem. Your corporate counsel is investigat-
ing the best way to overcome the county’s objections while limiting liability. Meanwhile, a local
environmental group is protesting your site because it believes the site is too close to an eagle’s
nest. Your public relations director is meeting with these local groups every week.
Do you proceed with the project?
To decide, you create a working team of the chief engineer, the CFO, your legal counsel, and
the PR director. Each of those people has different education and expertise, different life experi-
ence, and different values. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that they are paid by
your company. That team will participate collaboratively in ways that are far different from your
experience so far. Keep this example in mind as you read this chapter.
Bottom line: The two key characteristics of collaboration are iteration and feedback.

Q2 What Are Three Criteria for Successful Collaboration?

J. Richard Hackman studied teamwork for many years, and his book Leading Teams contains
2
many useful concepts and tips for future managers. According to Hackman, there are three
primary criteria for judging team success:
• Successful outcome
• Growth in team capability
• Meaningful and satisfying experience

Successful Outcome
Most students are primarily concerned with the first criterion. They want to achieve a good out-
come, measured by their grade, or they want to get the project done with an acceptable grade
while minimizing the effort required. For business professionals, teams need to accomplish

2 J. Richard Hackman, Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances (Boston: Harvard Business Press, 2002).