Why Can't You Understand Me? Analyzing Collaboration Culture Clash

Why can’t you understand me?

Rawn ShahSocial Business Architect

Rising Edge

@rawn #cultureclash

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Why hasn’t collaboration

become 100x easier now

with so many ways

to collaborate digitally?

© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved @rawn #cultureclash

3© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved

CollaborativeCultures

are Chimeras

Prism Effect of Digital

collaboration

Two challenges

Three (big) steps for the Social Enterprise

@rawn #cultureclash

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Digital transformation is key to future success



Source: Michael Fitzgerald, Nina Kruschwitz, Didier Bonnet and Michael Welch,Embracing Digital Technology: A New Strategic Imperative, MIT Sloan Management Review & Capgemini Consulting (2013)

Market Outperformers invest in Digital technology …

@rawn #cultureclash

© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved 6

…and see Culture as key to Digital Transformation

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© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved 7@rawn #cultureclash


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Technology alone is not the answer



Chris McGrath, Reducing Culture Clash in M&A with Social Intranet Software, ThoughtFarmer 2014 – http://www.thoughtfarmer.com/mergers

• Don’t get the right info from leaders

• Don’t learn cultural characteristics of the merging companies

• Don’t collaborate, or actively work against each other.

• Distracted from the core business.

• 50-70% of M&A activities fail to meet targets

• 33% of respondents blamed cultural integration issues:

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1. Create a dedicated space to spread clear, consistent messages

2. Gather feedback and questions

Great ✔ Are you sure?

Source: Erin Meyer, The Culture Map, PublicAffairs (2014) – review: http://onforb.es/10FVP0Z

During the M&A activity, employees are seeking out information and forums in which to be heard

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Challenge 1: CollaborativeCultures are Chimeras

© Rawn Shah. Some rights reservedSource: Kinyou, http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=41463930#post41463930

@rawn #cultureclash

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Designing a work culture just on Organizational values?

@rawn #cultureclash© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved

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Sturdy + Strong + Agile

Photo: Duncan Hull, DNA Origami https://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/4422952742/© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved @rawn #cultureclash

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You may end up with …

BEAR-SHARK-TOPUS

Photo: CtrlAltDelYourFace (Reddit), http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bearsharktopus© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved @rawn #cultureclash

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Real Work Cultures =

Organic +Multifaceted +

Unevenly distributed



Regional

Generational

Multiple

Organisational

Generational

Organisational

Passion

Passion

Cultural influencers:

Oxford Economics, Workforce 2020: The Looming Talent Crisis-- http://onforb.es/1xo1kir

Workforce strategy is shifting

@rawn #cultureclash

http://onforb.es/1xo1kir

http://onforb.es/1xo1kir


Regional

Generational

Passion

Organisational

5 Segments of Cultural Influence

Network

HofstedeMeyer Bicchieri

Trompenaars & Hampden-TurnerSchein

Denison

Hagel & Seely-Brown

MannheimTapscott

GranovetterWatts

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Regional

Generational

Passion

Organisational

Network

Interests, Expertise

Innovating

Connecting Attention management

Millennials/ Gen Y

GenX

NationalCulture

Leadership

Social Capital

Values

Work modes

Urbanism

Mobile

Language

Post-War /Boomers

Social Norms

Online / Digital

Weak ties

Mindfuless

Gen Z

Post-Democracy

Entrepreneurship

Ethnic culture

Community Standards

Reputation

Net Generation

FlowQuesting

AutonomyRisk

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Inclusion in job objectives

Formal Classroom training

Behavior of line & operational managers

Integrating into Business processes

Behavior of Senior Leaders

Internal communications campaigns

Behavior of Colleagues & Peers

11%

15%

25%

30%

35%

51%

62%

18%

27%

42%

36%

46%

65%

62%

2014 2013

What drives the change in the Digital Workplace? Peer Behavior and Internal Comms

Jane McConnell (UK/France), Digital Workplace Trends Report 2013-14 -- http://bit.ly/11S9uma


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(a) a decentralized approach

(b) where people are informed

(c) and can enable each other

(d) through shared experience@rawn #cultureclash© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved

To Develop a Collaborative Culture, you need:


Collaborative cultures are chimeras of our Shared Experiences

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Challenge 2: The Prism Effect of

Digital Collaboration

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The Human Mind has the amazing ability to reconstruct from fragments

And if you still recognize it, I hear there is an excellent museum around here…@rawn #cultureclash

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Imagine what the other side

is thinking.


is feeling.

HR Tech Europe 2013© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved

@rawn #cultureclash



is thinking.


is feeling.


is thinking.


is feeling.

But sometimes the mind can miscomprehend

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26© Rawn Shah. Some rights reserved @rawn #cultureclash


Content Lifetime

Reputation & Virality

Visible Identity

Attention Needed

Data Richness

Experience Sharing

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Collaborative cultures can conflict with the Digital infrastructure.

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Choose the right tools for the right scenario


So how do we cut through?

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Step 1: Map your

culture segments in each scenario



Example: Regional culture mapping

Source: Erin Meyer, The Culture Map, PublicAffairs (2014) -- http://onforb.es/10FVP0Z

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Map to discover the differences

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Source: Erin Meyer, The Culture Map, PublicAffairs (2014) -- http://onforb.es/10FVP0Z

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Step 2:Translate the

mappings to yourSocial infrastructure



What is the right tech by your culture fit?


What is the right tech by your culture fit?

Scales of Work Culture(Erin Meyer)

Tech Cultural Attributes(Rawn Shah)

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Find the confluences in each collaboration scenario

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team A

team B

group G

group K

site Y

site X

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Step 3:Sharpen

collaboration skills at the Edges



Decentralize

• Training & Enablement

• Cultural awareness

• Expertise identification

Centralize

• Collaboration systems

• Measurement systems

• Digital Recognition

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Solution in brief

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1. Map 2. Translate 3. Enable

• Training & Enablement

• Cultural awareness• Expertise

identification

• Collaboration systems• Measurement

systems• Digital Recognition


Rawn Shah• Social Business Architect

• Ex-Social Business Lead ata 400K-employee multinational

• Connected Business blog: http://Blogs.Forbes.com/rawnshah/

• Author: Social Networking for Business

• [email protected]• Linkedin.com/in/rawnshah• facebook.com/rawnshah• twitter.com/rawn

@rawn #cultureclash

Leadership & Management

Why Can't You Understand Me? Analyzing Collaboration Culture Clash