Leadership Lessons: The following example, as the other lessons on this site, is an illustration of how collaborative leaders resolve conflict, communicate effectively at higher levels and make decisions that resolve problems through critical thinking and collaborative teamwork. It provides a valuable teaching tool to help develop future collaborative leaders.
Collaborative Communication, Technology
and Teamwork
The Collaborative Evolution of NCR Corporation
Building collaborative teams is a challenge
whether they are small groups or larger ones. In the past companies with deeply structured
top-down hierarchies have had difficulty collaborating. New communication
technology has helped them move slowly toward improved forms of collaboration. Many
companies such as the NCR Corporation have begun to change their structure in
order to collaborate more effectively. In effect they are evolving into more
collaborative organizations with the help of new technologies. However,
collaborating with large numbers of people across long distances presents even
greater challenges to the group and organizational leaders of today. And, these
new challenges raise important questions regarding the development of media
rich environments in order to problem solve more effectively. In the past it
has been generally accepted that collaborative groups consist of 2-16 members.
Also, communicating with collaborative team members has usually followed the
rule that collaborative members must be in the same room within fifty feet of
each other to collaborate effectively. Technology is now creating so many new
ways to collaborate that we now need to take a closer look at what
collaboration really is and whether technology is improving our ability to
collaborate or is actually in some cases building barriers to problem solving.
The example of the NCR Corporation clearly illustrates how collaboration has changed with the new communications technology. For years NCR Corporation, as many other large companies, had an hierarchical organizational structure steeped in red tape and bureaucracy. It became very slow and cumbersome with most communications sent from the top down the line with layer upon layer of line management and staff implementing orders and directives with very little room for input, suggestions or creativity. Then, as the market changed for more computer-based machines to replace the old mechanical cash registers of the past, NCR was slow to respond. This resulted in IBM getting the larger share of the cash register market and NCR began to lay off thousands of employees while they attempted to catch up with the changing demand for computer operated cash registers.
This great purge during the seventies by NCR of many dedicated employees was devastating as many lost their jobs after years of company service. Today NCR has taken a new more collaborative approach to organizational development. Now with the help of new technology NCR is moving in the direction of more collaboration and input from employees at various levels of the company. For example, NCR created a virtual collaborative team of more than 1,000 people working at 17 locations to develop a next generation computer system. Using a high-bandwidth and audio-video-data telecommunications network, the team members completed the project on budget and ahead of schedule. Clearly, NCR has made great strides in collaboration with the help of new communications technology. However, the new challenge now for management is how to maintain the “media-rich” environments essential to collaborative problem solving across the great distances and large numbers of employees.
There are no easy answers here except to point out that while technology is improving how well and often we communicate with other employees there is often much that is missed when we are not in the same room with the people we are trying to listen to and to talk with. Studies have shown that eighty to ninety percent of communication is non-verbal and it is very difficult, although not impossible, to pick up on these signals through new and improved technology and audio-video conferencing. In media-rich environments collaborative members are able to more clearly understand and respond to each other for improved communication and understanding. Nevertheless, it is essential that we understand both the benefits and limitations of new technology for collaboration as real problem solving requires that group members are able to communicate at the highest levels through increased synergy that enables the group to work through issues effectively, listen for understanding and arrive at new and more creative solutions.
- How is the new communications technology enabling leaders to create media rich environments in order to collaborate and problem solve effectively?
- What are the benefits and limitations of collaborative technology for effective communication and problem solving?
- What elements of high synergy media-rich environments are essential for effective communication, collaborative problem solving and learning?
- What barriers to communication are created by technology and how can they best be overcome for effective collaborative problem solving and teamwork?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the new communications technology for developing collaborative teams?
- What is the next step for NCR Corporation in their "Collaborative Evolution?"
- How can NCR continue to build collaborative teams and create high synergy media-rich environments with collaborative technology?
