Channels of Collaboration

Neil CanhamCo-Founder, Flying Island

Overview

• What is Collaboration?• Channels and Modes• Tools• Conflict• Immersive Environments• Why Roobaab?

What is Collaboration?

Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or

organizations work together in an intersection of common goals — for example, an intellectual endeavour

that is creative in nature—by sharing knowledge, learning and building

consensus.Wikipedia

What is Collaboration?

Collaborate to work jointly on an activity or project

Compact Oxford English Dictionary

Collaborative Software

software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve their goals… The design intent is to transform the way documents and rich media are shared in order to

enable more effective team collaboration…

Wikipedia

Everyone’s Everywhere

• Most groupware used by colocated staff“Yeah, just put it on the network drive. You look

puzzled. Ok I’ll come and do it for you”

• Collaboration systems only get tested when there are no other channels

• Ease of use and reliability become key• Timezones, Languages

Communication - Collaboration

• Communication is not collaboration– It’s what you do with it that counts

• Discussion might be collaboration• Mode of communication – Synchronous vs Asynchronous– Do you NEED synchronous?– Sometimes asynchronous can be more

valuable

Channels

• Ways to pass information• Tools for sharing information• Modes• Channel of Collaboration?

Voice

• Synchronous– Telephone / teleconference– VoIP– Broadcast / streaming (one way)

• Asynchronous– Voicemail– Podcast

Text

• Synchronous– Instant Message– Shared Editing

• Asynchronous– Email– Shared Document repository–Wikis, Forums, Twitter

•Mixed Mode• Twitter• Google Wave

Missing Cues…

“Sure. I have all the time in the world, I’d love to do all the work and you all can just sit back and take the credit! That just sounds wonderful. Just kidding, it doesn’t really sound wonderful, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. I can work on it tomorrow night when we are done with our meeting.”

Text

• Synchronous– Instant Message– Shared Editing

• Asynchronous– Email– Shared Document repository–Wikis, Forums, Twitter

•Mixed Mode• Twitter• Google Wave

Text

• Synchronous– Instant Message– Shared Editing

• Asynchronous– Email– Shared Document repository–Wikis, Forums, Twitter

•Mixed Mode• Twitter• Google Wave

Change the Channel!

• Changing the main channel will have profound effects on group dynamics

• Don’t be afraid to change• A more restricted channel might be a

good thing!

Diagrams, Pictures, Video

• Synchronous– Shared whiteboard / desktop–Web camera– Video conference

• Asynchronous– Picture archive (Flickr)– Video clip / screen cam (YouTube)

Conflict?

• Good– Effective, efficient communications– Time for thoughtful reaction and

reflection

• Bad– Enforced strategies for use– Easier to be blunt / forthright /

ambiguous–Mixed sense of urgency for response

Channel of Collaboration

Communications channel with attitude… as long as it’s the right

attitude!

Collaboration is

Tools+

Shared Goals+

Agreed Process

Doing stuff together?

• Virtual Worlds• Persistent Immersive Environments

(PIE)• Powerful sense of place• Palpable, inescapable sense of sharing• Building, Watching, Listening, Being

TOGETHERTogethering?

Make it Simple!

• Acknowledge Corporate / occasional users

• Familiar environments• Intuitive tools to enhance sharing

and immersion

The Principle of Least Surprise

Roobaab

• Make it really easy to share and collaborate

• You choose when and how you want to collaborate

• Provide really useful tools

Bring the team together without bringing the team together

Not the end

There may be no ‘I’ in TEAM but

You can’t take the Labor out of Collaboration

For more info on Roobaab or a demo of any of the tools in this presentation contact Richard Meiklejohn in SL, or email neil@knowsense.co.uk