Is it time for organizations to start hiring chief collaboration officers? In this episode of the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean and Scott talk to Rob Cross, Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, author of ‘Beyond Collaboration Overload’ and consultant. Rob explains that while collaboration can be the answer to many business challenges, leaders must learn to recognize, promote, and efficiently distribute the right kinds of collaborative work, or their teams and top talent will bear the costs of too much demand for too little supply.

Beyond Collaboration Overload (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021)

0.00 Introduction

3.02 Can you give us some background to your work and approaches, particularly in network analysis that led you to the ideas you write about in Beyond Collaboration Overload?

5.35 Can you give us an overview of the two parts of the book and tell us what the payoff is for those who read it?

8.20 What do you mean by identity triggers?

10.40 How can someone identify their particular identity trigger, that gets them stuck in patterns of behaviours and responsiveness that are counterproductive for them?

11.49 Can you give us a snapshot of what a day in the life of ‘Scott’ (a character in your book) might be?

15.59 How are the command and control fanatics that still exist in some organisations coping with collaboration overload?

18.26 When you go into a C-suite, how do you help them better understand this strategically?

20.03 What have you observed about the different types of collaboration?

25.44 Can you share some of your other ideas around how we might avoid other forms of overload and/or other recurring microstressers that impact on us?

32.41 Is all of this reliant on your getting to grips with your identity trigger first?

34.22 What have you learnt about how high performers are now spending their time, especially those who might get back 18-24% of their time by incorporating these tactics?

39.44 Can you talk to us about the cumulative effects of microstressers?

45.43 The point you made earlier about understanding your needs requires a certain type of self-awareness because as we get busier, we run the risk of being cut off from what we’re feeling. What have you learnt about high performers and their ability to tune into those needs?

49.08 What happened to the character ‘Scott’ who we mentioned earlier in the interview?

52.26 In ten years time, what could an organisation that embraces more of this understanding look like?

Recommended listening from the Evolving Leader archive:

The Science of Seeing Differently with Dr Beau Lotto

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The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

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Beyond Collaboration Overload with Rob Cross