In this the fifth article we look at interconnected organizational landscape and the concept of "collective" activities. Collective training, exercising, education, learning and knowledge are processes that involve multiple teams or groups working together toward shared objectives (Senge, 1990). These activities are essential for fostering collaboration, enhancing organizational capabilities and achieving large-scale success. My persona view of collective is more top down than multiple teams and groups, I prefer to think of collective ant the entity level, the company, the club the organization as a whole.
This article aims to clarify the definitions of these
collective activities, distinguish them from team-level activities and emphasise
their application. By understanding and effectively implementing collective
processes organizations can leverage synergies and achieve accelerated
development.
Understanding "Collective" in Organizational
Context
Etymology of "collective":
The word "collective" originates from the
Latin adjective "collectīvus", meaning "gathered
together" or "collective." This, in turn, comes from the Latin
verb "colligere", which means "to gather together"
or "to collect." The verb "colligere" is formed by
combining:
- "com-":
a prefix meaning "together."
- "legere":
a verb meaning "to gather" or "to choose."
The term was adopted into Middle French as "collectif",
and then entered the English language in the late 15th to early 16th century as
"collective." It has been used to describe actions,
characteristics, or entities that involve or pertain to a group rather than
individuals alone.
Definition of "Collective"
The term "collective" refers to activities or
processes that involve multiple teams or groups within an organization
collaborating to achieve common goals (Edmondson, 2002). Unlike team-level
activities, which focus on a single team's dynamics and performance, collective
activities encompass interactions and coordination among several teams.
The issue here is one of language. As an adjective we can
lean towards the groups and teams’ definition as it’s descriptive. As noun we
get the organizational derivative.
Collective (adjective):
- Relating
to or done by a group of individuals: Pertaining to actions, decisions, or
responsibilities shared by all members of a group.
Example: The team took collective responsibility for the project's outcome.
Collective (noun):
- A
group acting together with a common interest or purpose: An organization
or enterprise managed by all its members who share the benefits and
responsibilities.
Example: They formed an artists' collective to share resources and collaborate on projects.
Overall, "collective" refers to the concept of
individuals coming together to act as a whole, whether in decision-making,
responsibility, or organizational structure.
Importance of Collective Activities
- Enhanced
Collaboration: Facilitates knowledge sharing and cooperation across
different organizational units (Reagans & McEvily, 2003).
- Resource
Optimization: Allows for efficient utilisation of resources by pooling
capabilities and expertise.
- Strategic
Alignment: Ensures that various teams (the entity) are aligned with
the organization's overarching goals and strategies (Senge, 1990).
Collective Training
Definition
Collective training involves multiple teams engaging in
coordinated training activities to develop shared skills, competencies and
understanding necessary for collaborative performance (Salas, Priest, &
Burke, 2005). It focuses on inter-team coordination, communication and joint objective
execution.
Key Characteristics
- Inter-Team
Focus: Emphasizes the interactions between teams rather than within a
single team.
- Complex
Task Simulations: Involves scenarios that require cooperation among
teams to accomplish objectives.
- Unified
Objectives: Aims to achieve common goals that contribute to
organizational effectiveness.
Examples
- Joint
Military Exercises: Different units collaborate to execute coordinated
operations, enhancing interoperability.
- Cross-Functional
Business Simulations: Departments such as marketing, finance and
operations work together to address organizational change.
Collective Exercising
Definition
Collective exercising refers to the practice of multiple
teams participating in joint drills or simulations to test and improve their
collective readiness and response capabilities (Salas et al., 2005). It is
often used to assess[1]
the effectiveness of collective training and identify areas for improvement.
Key Characteristics
- Scenario-Based
Drills: Uses realistic scenarios to simulate complex situations
requiring inter-team collaboration.
- Performance
Evaluation: Measures the collective performance of teams against
predefined standards.
- Feedback
Mechanisms: Provides insights into collective strengths and weaknesses
for continuous improvement.
Examples
- Disaster
Response Simulations: The Fire Service, Police, Hospitals and other government
agencies collaborate as ‘the Emergency Services’ to prepare for natural
disasters[2].
- Cybersecurity
Drills: IT, Commercial, HR and Management teams across different
departments work together to respond to simulated cyber-attacks.
Collective Education
Definition
Collective education involves structured learning
initiatives aimed at developing the collective knowledge and understanding of
multiple teams regarding organizational strategies, values and practices
(Senge, 1990). It seeks to align teams with the organization's mission and
foster a shared culture.
Key Characteristics
- Organizational
Alignment: Ensures that all teams understand and embrace
organizational goals and values.
- Knowledge
Dissemination: Distributes critical information and best practices
across teams.
- Cultural
Integration: Promotes a cohesive organizational culture through shared
learning experiences.
Examples
- Company-Wide
Workshops: Sessions on organizational ethics, diversity or new
strategic initiatives involving all teams.
- Leadership
Development Programs: Training future leaders to foster a unified
leadership approach[3].
Collective Learning
Definition
Collective learning is the process by which multiple teams
collaboratively acquire, share and apply knowledge to improve organizational
performance (Edmondson, 2002). It involves continuous learning through
interactions, experiences and reflection at the inter-team level.
Key Characteristics
- Shared
Experiences: Learning from joint activities and collective
experiences.
- Knowledge
Integration: Combining insights from different teams to create new
organizational knowledge.
- Adaptive
Capacity: Enhancing the organization's ability to respond to changes
through collective learning.
Examples
- Pre-mortem:
Team members might anticipate issues like inadequate resources, scope
creep or unforeseen technical constraints. By imagining and discussing
these risks, the team creates proactive strategies to prevent them, such
as adding contingency plans, refining scope, or allocating additional
resources. (Klein, 2007)
- After-Action
Reviews (Post-mortem): Teams jointly analyse the outcomes of
collective projects to learn and improve.
- Innovation
Forums: Cross-team gatherings to share ideas and develop new solutions
collaboratively.
Collective Knowledge
Definition
Collective knowledge refers to the accumulated information,
understanding and expertise shared among multiple teams within an organization
(Reagans & McEvily, 2003). It represents the organization's intellectual
capital that arises from collaborative efforts.
Key Characteristics
- Shared
Intellectual Assets: Knowledge that is accessible and beneficial to
all.
- Organizational
Memory: The collective repository of past experiences, lessons learned
and best practices[4].
- Competitive
Advantage: Leveraging collective knowledge to outperform competitors.
Examples
- Knowledge
Management Systems: Centralised platforms where teams contribute and
access organizational knowledge.
- Best
Practice Repositories: Collections of effective methods and strategies
that are shared.
Distinguishing Collective Activities from Team-Level
Activities
Scope and Scale
- Team-Level
Activities: Focused on the dynamics, performance and development
within a single team.
- Collective
Activities: Involve multiple teams collaborating and coordinating
efforts on a larger scale.
Objectives
- Team-Level:
Achieving specific team functions and improving intra-team goals.
- Collective-Level:
Advancing organizational objectives that require inter-team collaboration.
Impact
- Team-Level:
Directly affects team performance and outcomes.
- Collective-Level:
Influences organizational performance, culture and strategic alignment.
Importance of Collective Activities for Organizational
Success
Synergy and Innovation
Collective activities enable organizations to harness the
diverse skills and perspectives of multiple teams, leading to synergistic
outcomes and innovative solutions (Senge, 1990).
Organizational Agility
By promoting collective learning and knowledge sharing organizations
become more adaptable and responsive to environmental changes (Edmondson,
2002).
Enhanced Communication and Coordination
Collective training and exercising improve communication
channels and coordination mechanisms among teams, reducing silos and fostering
a collaborative culture (Salas et al., 2005).
Strategic Alignment
Collective education ensures that all teams are aligned with
the organization's vision and strategies, facilitating unified action toward
common goals (Senge, 1990).
Examples of Collective Activities in Organizational
Contexts
Case Study 1: Global Corporation's Cross-Team Innovation
Challenge
A multinational corporation organized an innovation
challenge involving teams from different countries and departments. The
collective activity aimed to generate innovative ideas to improve
sustainability practices. Through collective learning and collaboration, the
organization developed new strategies that were implemented globally, enhancing
its environmental impact and reputation.
Case Study 2: Healthcare System's Emergency Preparedness
Exercises
Multiple hospitals and emergency services participated in
collective exercising to prepare for potential pandemics. The joint exercise
improved coordination, communication and response strategies, leading to a more
resilient healthcare system capable of handling crises effectively.
Implementing Collective Activities
Leadership Commitment
- Vision
and Support: Leaders must articulate the importance of collective
activities and provide necessary resources (Senge, 1990).
- Role
Modelling: Leaders should participate in collective activities to
demonstrate their value.
Structured Processes
- Planning
and Coordination: Establish clear objectives, roles and communication
channels for collective activities.
- Evaluation
and Feedback: Implement mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of
collective efforts and identify improvement areas (Salas et al., 2005).
Cultural Considerations
- Promoting
Collaboration: Foster a culture that values teamwork across teams and
departments.
- Encouraging
Open Communication: Create an environment where knowledge sharing and
collective learning are encouraged and rewarded (Edmondson, 2002).
Technological Support
- Collaboration
Tools: Utilise technology platforms that facilitate communication and
coordination among teams.
- Knowledge
Management Systems: Implement systems to capture and disseminate
collective knowledge effectively (Reagans & McEvily, 2003).
Defining and understanding collective training, exercising,
education, learning and knowledge are essential for organizations aiming to
leverage the full potential of their workforce. By distinguishing these
collective activities from team-level processes organizations can design and
implement strategies that promote inter-team collaboration, innovation and
strategic alignment.
Collective activities play a role in enhancing
organizational capabilities, fostering a collaborative culture and achieving
large-scale success. Investing in these processes enables organizations to
adapt to complex challenges, capitalise on diverse expertise and maintain a
competitive advantage.
References
- Edmondson,
A. C. (2002). The Local and Variegated Nature of Learning in
Organizations: A Group-Level Perspective. Organization Science, 13(2),
128-146. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=7520
- Reagans,
R., & McEvily, B. (2003). Network Structure and Knowledge Transfer:
The Effects of Cohesion and Range. Administrative Science Quarterly,
48(2), 240-267. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/sites/default/files/faculty-cv/2020/07/01/cv-document-8902.pdf
- Salas,
E., Priest, H. A., & Burke, C. S. (2005). Teamwork and Team
Performance Measurement. In Human Factors and Ergonomics (pp. 17-47). CRC
Press. (no longer available)
- Senge,
P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning
Organization. Doubleday. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hrm.3930290308
- Klein,
G. (2007). Performing a project pre-mortem. Harvard Business Review,
85(9), pp. 18-19. https://hbr.org/2007/09/performing-a-project-premortem
Further Reading
- Cross,
R., & Parker, A. (2004). The Hidden Power of Social Networks:
Understanding How Work Really Gets Done in Organizations. Harvard Business
School Press. https://store.hbr.org/product/the-hidden-power-of-social-networks-understanding-how-work-really-gets-done-in-organizations/2705
- Gibson,
C. B., & Cohen, S. G. (Eds.). (2003). Virtual Teams That Work:
Creating Conditions for Virtual Team Effectiveness. Jossey-Bass. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Virtual+Teams+That+Work%3A+Creating+Conditions+for+Virtual+Team+Effectiveness+-p-9780787965693
- Kozlowski,
S. W. J., & Bell, B. S. (2003). Work Groups and Teams in
Organizations. In W. C. Borman, D. R. Ilgen, & R. J. Klimoski (Eds.),
Handbook of Psychology: Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Vol. 12,
pp. 333-375). Wiley. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/0471264385.wei1214
- Smith,
K. G., Carroll, S. J., & Ashford, S. J. (1995). Intra- and
Interorganizational Cooperation: Toward a Research Agenda. Academy of
Management Journal, 38(1), 7-23. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-35213-001
- Wenger,
E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. M. (2002). Cultivating Communities of
Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Harvard Business School Press. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/cultivating-communities-of-practice-a-guide-to-managing-knowledge-seven-principles-for-cultivating-communities-of-practice
Note: This article provides definitions and insights into collective activities within organizations, highlighting their significance and application. The references cited offer foundational and contemporary perspectives on organizational learning, collaboration and performance. Readers interested in exploring these topics further are encouraged to consult the listed sources.
[1]
Assess here is used in it loosest sense, as assessment in this context is
primarily subjective, even if the system capturing data points. Ask yourself
what is being measured and how was that decided on and how does that relate to
the goals associated to collective performance. The system vender will probably
talk about individual or team measures and aggregation. You need to measure
different things at different levels. An individual is not a team and team is
not a collective.
[2]
The Emergency Services in this context is the collective.
[3]
This is a pinch point. I cannot stress enough how important selection is,
Individuals can be highly self-motivated.
[4] Organizational
Memory is tied to human resource (people) and should be weighted into any
consideration of restructuring or rationalizing and organization.
Disclaimer:
Please note that parts of this post were assisted by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool. The AI has been used to generate certain content and provide information synthesis. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the AI's contributions are based on its training data and algorithms and should be considered as supplementary information.
Comments
Post a Comment