The collaborative enterprise, or your project driven by collective intelligence

Is the collaborative enterprise the new Eldorado for businesses? It's impossible to ignore collaborative working and internal communication in 2020.

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

Work organisation, information flow, change management, productivity... this article explains the term "collaborative enterprise" and distils advice for a 2.0 company.

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Collaborative intelligence: a definition of this driving force for business competitiveness

What do we mean by " collaborative intelligence"? Also known as " collective intelligence", it refers to the mobilisation and exploitation of all the skills and knowledge of employees 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 involving employees.

👉 Finally, collaborative intelligence helps you get out of the box and go further with your projects.

Collaborative intelligence: an example to help you understand

Collaborative enterprise: definition

What is a collaborative enterprise?

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

• teamwork, both within a department and between different 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 optimise project management and get 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 organisation where information flows more freely.

Why become a collaborative company?

There are a number of advantages to collaboration in business:

• information flows (better) and your projects move forward more quickly thanks to better communication;
• sharing best practice between departments helps you to adopt the best working methods and improve productivity;
• You save time: information is centralised and available at all times;
• you empower your staff: everyone has a role to play and a mission to fulfil, on which the work of others depends;
• the company is decompartmentalised: no more working on your own, teamwork is now the norm;
• you create a corporate culture based on communication, benevolence, empathy and performance.

The challenges of collaborative working in companies

Rethinking management and the role of managers

It is difficult for a collaborative enterprise to be organised according to a pyramid model, which by definition structures the company in relatively hermetic layers. As a result, communication is hampered, information does not always flow smoothly, there is little room for human interaction, and so on.

✅ Move towards more horizontal, even collaborative management. The role of the manager should also be reviewed: from being the one who gives the orders, he or she becomes the leader and supports the team in a process of empowerment.

Benefits :

• Listening to employees and empathy,
• anticipation of risks and action plans to avoid them,
• Work is organised more closely to the needs of the teams and the company,
• better communication, which encourages projects to move forward.

Encouraging the flow of information

Sharing information and managing knowledge in real time :

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

Providing a working environment conducive to collaboration

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

✅ Here are a few tips to make your working environment a breeding ground for collaboration:

• arrange your workplace to encourage all kinds of exchanges: offices close to each other for people working on the same project, for example ;
  
• if you work in a remote team, or telework (or are confined to your desk): think about virtual exchange points (messaging, videoconferencing, collaborative tools, etc.) so that collaboration doesn't stop once you've left the office;
  
• provide areas 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 option;
  
• paradoxically, democratise teleworking: one or more days a week, employees can take advantage of the peace and quiet of their home to come up with new ideas without being interrupted.

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 organisation that will benefit from their skills. Think about it!

Supporting change linked to digital transformation

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

• new organisations
• 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 goes hand in hand with acceleration (of your growth).

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Essential tools for the collaborative enterprise

There is a plethora of tools for making an organisation collaborative... without spending all your time dealing with emails. Here is a selection to get you off to a good start:

• project management tools for a macro view of planning and progress. For example: Planisware Orchestra or Wrike;
  
• task management tools to view everyone's tasks and assignments, and make collaborative to-do lists. Example: monday.com;
  
• company collaborative platforms to centralise all information exchanges within a single tool;
  
• EDM (electronic document management) software for editing, storing, archiving or sharing documents online;
  
• communication tools for accessing e-mail or videoconferencing, for example.

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

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

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