Collaboration and Project Teams: Understanding and Creating Success.

Transcription

1 Collaboration and Project Teams: Understanding and Creating Success. NZVET Conference, 2014 Neil Haigh

2 One day

3 Another Project.. more frequent engagements with each other mean that professional [and research] perspectives and views are explored and developed and then either become more consistent within this collaboration, or the people know where the areas of tension are likely to arise and be prepared to accommodate them. Holmes, A., Haigh, N. and Naidoo, K. (2009). Working collaboratively across New Zealand Universities, In L. Walsh. and P. Kahn (Eds.). Collaborative Working in Higher Education: The Social Academy (pp ). Routledge.

4 Sources of ideas, recommendations, suggestions My experiences and observations My interest in thoughtful and effective ways of working together Literature on collaboration and research teams Contributions of workshop participants (Leading, Managing and Participating in Research Teams)

5 A Team?. a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accountable" (Katzenbach and Smith, 1993).

6 Collaboration? The situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing

7 Collaboration vs Coordination + Cooperation a more durable and pervasive relationship..relationships require comprehensive planning and greater - and sometimes unequal - sharing of resources and power. Authority is determined by the collaborative structure and risk is much greater because each partner is contributing its resources and reputation. (Ray) is working together to create something new in support of a shared vision the glue is the shared vision. (Stoner) direct interaction among individuals to produce a product and involves negotiations, discussions, and accomodating others perspectives (Kazar) Collaboration is a process in which autonomous or semi-autonomous actors interact through formal and informal negotiation, jointly creating rules and structures governing their relationships and ways to act or decide on the issues that brought them together; it is a process involving shared norms and mutually beneficial interactions. (Thomson et al)

8 Making the Case for Collaboration

9 Potential Benefits Assemble capabilities required to make project feasible. Draw on greater breadth, diversity and depth of knowledge and know-how. Stimulate development of new approaches Extend the facilities and resources available Achieve cost-effectiveness in use of human and material resources.

10 Potential Benefits Provide opportunities for capability-building through collaboration and bench-marking. Increase motivation through obligations incurred to others. Establish relationships that have benefits beyond project timeframe. Alleviate isolation provide intellectual company and stimulation

11 Potential Challenges and Risks Team members are uncertain, unclear or disagree about the conceptualization and design of the project have a strong competitive rather than collaborative orientation don t want to compromise or consider unfamiliar options in order to achieve consensus lack trust/confidence in the capabilities of other team members (and/or their organizations) are concerned about perceived/actual power or status imbalances lack the inclination or ability to take the perspectives of other team members into account.

12 Potential Challenges and Risks Teams members have not explicitly acknowledged and talked about the possible implications of differences in their motives for involvement their individual discipline, profession, paradigm, theory, value positions their individual research capabilities and experiences their capability-development needs the research culture, politics, policies, facilities, services of their respective organizations

13 Potential Challenges and Risks Inadequate leadership and management limited personal experience of team research limited experience of team leadership/management in general lack of preparation for the role lack of on-going mentoring-coaching support poor project management knowledge and skills low commitment to the role

14 Your Hi-Priority Ingredients for Successful Collaborations Share and compare (4mins)

15 My Ingredients All team members have a shared and clear understanding of o the aims, intended outcomes and anticipated benefits of their collaborative work. This understanding is established early and precedes decision-making about the design of the project. o the reasons why a team is undertaking the project and why they are a member of the team (what they bring to the team ). o their respective role(s), responsibilities and required capabilities o principles, protocols and processes for collaborationduring the project. o the resources requirements of the project (including financial) and how these will be met to ensure it is feasible o team and individual timelines and milestones o the team s/their own capability development needs and how/when these can be addressed o whom, in addition to team members, will make a contribution to the project (e.g. advisory group, Research Office, legal services, administrative/technical staff) and how/when they will be involved o potential risks associated with project and how these might be avoided or reduced. know about other team members research paradigms, theories,, values, capabilities (methodologies and methods), experiences, motives, career goals that are relevant to the project if appropriate, know about other team members organizational contexts policies, facilities, services etc. have an equivalent strong commitment to the project accept that compromise may be required and are willing to compromise accept that some flexibility may be necessary when implementing plans, and are prepared to be flexible recognize the need to keep feasibility considerations in mind when making decisions know what is happening and will happen, and provide regular updates on their own plans and progress maintain a united front have a genuine liking for one another communicate thoughtfully as well as effectively to one another state, rather than conceal, issues and concerns recognize that building and maintaining relationships is critical are respectful and courteous are trustworthy to help ensure mutual trust encourage and affirm one another s involvement and contributions are well prepared for, and attend, meetings acknowledge that some difficulties, disagreements and conflicts can t be avoided and make their own contribution to addressing them in a timely as well as effective way.

16 All team members know one another well as researchers: their research perspectives and approaches, capabilities, experiences, topics, plans and goals organization s support for researchers (policies, facilities, services etc.) time available for research

17 If not known Inappropriate roles, tasks assigned Under/ineffective utilization of capabilities Avoidable diagreements or conflicts occur Development needs not met Mentoring/coaching roles not taken up

18 Let s do it Talk about your research identity who you are as a researcher organization s support for researchers (facilities, services, policies etc.) ability to accommodate research in your life in general Pairs 4 mins each (3 x 1 statement)

19 All researcher team members know who will make other contributions to the project (e.g. advisory group, Research Office staff, legal services staff, administrative and technical staff), the nature of their contributions and when they will be involved? Other contributors know in advance the purposes of the project and how and when they will be involved.

20 Identify people Plan their involvement Define their contribution Determine timing Brief re the project as a whole/their facet of the project

21 All team members know the potential risks associated with the project and how they might be avoided or reduced.

22 Risks to researchers (e.g. health, safety, reputation) to research subjects (ethics considerations) to natural and built environment (damage, degradation, disruption) to the public (health and safety) to organization s reputation (e.g. research quality and integrity, compliance with policies) financial and legal liability risks other project-specific risks (e.g. loss of key researchers, failure of equipment,. Develop a risk management plan!

23 All team members acknowledge that some disagreements and conflicts can t be avoided and make their own contribution to addressing them in a timely as well as effective way. Be realistic Have explicit values, processes and protocols

24 All team members have a shared and clear understanding of the principles, protocols and processes for collaboration during the project. Have a plan for collaboration as well as a plan for research! A plan for how the collaborative work and well-being of the team will be enabled, facilitated and supported.

25 Collaboration/Team Leaders/Managers Leadership is fundamentally concerned with helping people conceive a clear, precise and feasible vision for a future outcome/objective/goal a vision that they will personally commit to and want to realize and helping them design a strategy for achieving the vision. Effective leaders communicate clearly, facilitate good team processes, share responsibilities, think strategically, help people accommodate to change that can follow from a new vision or goal.

26 Collaboration/Team Leaders - Managers Management is concerned with ensuring that things are in place and things are done by people that will make it more likely that the vision and associated strategy will be realized. Management entails facilitating and engaging in planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, communication, reporting, support, encouragement.

27 Collaboration/Team Leaders - Managers Overall Responsibilities Pre-project (funding) approval Preparation and submission of a sound proposal and associated funding application. If appropriate, completion of an ethics application. Post project approval Completion of the project in accord with approved proposal. Reporting as required by a sponsor/funder. Compliance with all related institutional policies and processes. Compliance with all rules, terms and conditions of the funding award. Formation of a team. Sound leadership and management of the team. Obtaining and maintaining all resources required for the project. Planning the work of the team. Stewardship of finances. HR requirements Communicating to stakeholders about the project. Ensure retention, storage, ownership of data and records

28 Collaboration/Team Leaders/Managers Opportunities and Benefits Satisfaction of harnessing and directing the intellectual muscle power of a team Opportunity to extend one s own capabilities Enhancement of profile/cv Satisfaction of helping colleagues build their capabilities

29 Collaboration Considerations and Decisions Gestation Phase Initial conceptualization of project (a researcher) Assess pros and cons of collaboration Decision to establish team/collaboration - or not If collaboration Define roles and capabilities required Recruit researcher team members assign roles and responsibilities Recruit other team members (Initial continuing) Research Planning Conceptualization and design Research action plan Finance, procurement, Workplaces Ethics, intellectual property, legal, authorship Information and publicity Outputs and dissemination Impacts and promotion Collaboration Planning Decision-making principles, processes, protocols Team communication Records Team commitment and well-being Capability development Risk management Dispute-conflict management

30 Considerations and Decisions in Detail (Some Examples) Decision-making policies/processes/protocols Criteria for determining (a) who takes responsibility for decision-making re particular aspects of the project, and (b) who contributes to decision-making Decision-making processes (e.g. consensus, majority, leader casting vote). Decision-making protocols (e.g. reasonable timeframes for decision-making, timing for communication of decisions, ways of communicating decisions)

31 Considerations and Decisions in Detail Within Team Communication communications modes (e.g. face-to-face meetings, video conferences, Skype, phone, , project website discussion board) criteria for use of particular modes (access, convenience, effectiveness, cost) protocols for communication (e.g. timely, transparent, open, honest, adequate lead-time)

32 Considerations and Decisions in Detail Record Keeping Aspects of the project to be recorded Forms of record (paper, electronic, audio/visual) Record version control Recipients of records Access to records Record storage and security (where and timeframe) Ownership of records

33 Resources Booklet: Leading, managing and participating in research teams Guide: Good practice in leading and supporting a research team: A Guide for research staff and project leaders ingresearchteam.pdf Site: Leadership development for principle investigators

34 Conclusion T.E.A.M. = Together Everyone Achieves More