How to build your collaboration footprint

Right now, there is one career-boosting habit that is guaranteed to add a bit of va va voom to your workplace mobility. Collaboration.

Put simply, it’s how you work with people outside your usual area to create great things.

We’re so over teamwork. Now it’s all about stretching those limbs and mental muscles to connect with new people in new places to do wonderful things.

IBM has been measuring the impact of its most networked people. It’s found that those with the most highly engaged networks are 120% more likely to generate measurable innovation and 150% more likely to demonstrate customer advocacy.

It won’t be long before organisations try to find a way to clone these types.

So what can you learn from these super IBMers?

Firstly, it’s not about LinkedIn connections or numbers of Facebook friends. It’s much more about how well you share, connect and create with the people you know — and those you don’t.

There are people who are just good at making themselves visible and open to new opportunities. At actively creating new opportunities. And making those opportunities come alive.

But all of us can be good at it, if we just gave it a bit more thought — and time. This isn’t something new you have to add into a packed day, but a new mindset and a new way of doing what you already do.

So how do you start thinking and acting a bit more like the super IBMers?

For a conference session I ran this week I’ve started thinking about all the things that make it easy and hard for me to do things with people outside of my normal peer group.

I’ve defined these as the elements of my collaboration footprint:

• How I respond when people ask for help
• How I go about finding new opportunities to get and give help
• How I help other people give and get help

It’s that simple (homage here to Charlie Davies and the many conversations we’ve had over the last year).

But what I like most about this footprint is that it can be applied to anything. So if you don’t like the word collaboration (it is a bit buzz), go for whatever works for you.

Perhaps it’s just about being a good egg. Or a bee — someone who connects people with people and ideas.

I had the opportunity to test this with some very clever folk at SMILE London. I got them to use these models as a way to think about their habits and what they might need to do to boost their positive impact in their world.

I’ve shared them below so you can try them out for size. Do let me know how you get on.

Lots of things can dictate how you react when asked to help. The trick is to understand what these things are and consciously choose the right response

Thinking about your needs in terms of a network of potential help can be a big mindset change — ensuring you get the best help, at the right time and in the right way takes practice

Disco — the way to nurture a more collaborative environment all around you

Find out how I can help nurture more collaborative behaviours inside your organisation or create disruptive and engaging sessions at your conference or event at www.belindagannaway.com. Or tell me what you think at @beegannaway.