Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World

Collaboration 2.0 Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World By David Coleman and Stewart Levine 20660 Stevens Creek Blvd. Suite 210 Cupertino, CA 95014 Collaboration 2.0: Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World Copyright © 2008 by David Coleman and Stewart Levine All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author(s) assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. First Printing: January 2008 Paperback ISBN: 1-60005-071-9 (978-1-60005-071-8) Place of Publication: Silicon Valley, California, USA Paperback Library of Congress Number: 2007942078 eBook ISBN: 1-60005-072-7 (978-1-60005-072-5) Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Happy About® cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty of fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book. Endorsements “Information technology is ushering in a new era of human interactiv- ity, one in which people around the world will be able to communicate in unprecedented ways. However, humans are just as complicated on both sides of a fiber optic cable as they are sitting together at a nego- tiating table. This book is an invaluable guide to this new era, marrying the technological savvy of David Coleman with the human insights of Stewart Levine. I recommend it to anyone curious about the new capabilities Web 2.0 is opening for human interaction and the ways we can use them to help us collaborate more effectively.” Colin Rule, Director of Trust and On Line Dispute Resolution, ebay “Collaboration 2.0 is your secret weapon for successfully bringing people together in ways that maximize learning, communication, and results. The critical tools and insights will transform your organization and unleash innovation. Change it anyway you want!” Dr. Vicki Halsey, VP Ken Blanchard Companies and Author of The Hamster Revolution “Collaboration 2.0 raises some important issues and challenges for us to rethink human communication at the intersection of people, process, and technology. Increasingly, people are using technology to connect up our best thinking, encourage new relationships, and stim- ulate innovative problem-solving that transcends culture and global boundaries, indeed making the world increasingly flat. I particularly like the introduction at the end to the role collaboration will play in helping us take on the challenges of envisioning a sustainable world that serves the needs of all people and ensures stewardship for the planet. It’s time to have meaningful, courageous conversations on a scale not yet imagined that will help us create and live in the dream of a sustainable world.” G. Lee Salmon, Federal Consulting Group, Department of the Treasury “This is the book we have all been expecting—and it is no disappoint- ment. Amidst the hype of Web 2.0, David and Stewart have taken the vision into a stellar practical pathway for implementation— each chapter a gem of insight. There is no question: this well-grounded book sets the standard for 21st century collaboration in compelling, consis- tent, and congruent terms. A management book page turner not to be missed…” Debra M. Amidon, Founder and CEO, ENTOVATION International Ltd. “As the world gets ‘flatter’ and national boundaries become increasingly meaningless, legal and business professionals need new tools and techniques for global collaboration. Coleman and Levine have been working these fields for decades and offer real solutions for these virtual problems. If you are a legal or business professional who needs to work with an extended team spread across multiple time zones, this book is essential reading.” John C. Tredennick, CEO and Founder of Catalyst Repository Systems, Inc. “Collaboration 2.0 provides very timely guidance to all business leaders who must help their employees learn to communicate well and negotiate projects effectively, and provide team members with the right collaboration tools and technologies.” Eilif Trondsen, Ph.D., Director, SRI Consulting Business Intelligence “Finally, a book on collaboration technology by people who actually understand collaboration! It’s about time. Thank you David Coleman and Stewart Levine!” Christopher Avery Ph.D., http://www.ChristopherAvery.com, Author of ‘Teamwork Is An Individual Skill’ “David’s had his finger on the collaboration pulse for a long time, helping people make sense of what’s going on and how to take advantage of the new developments. It’s great to see his new book doing the same with the 2.0 wave of collaboration.” Michael Sampson, Industry Analyst, http://www.michaelsampson.net “The web is interactive. The world is flat. And now David and Stewart explain why and how collaboration is the next chapter in this evolution of networks.” Jay Cross, Chief Scientist, Internet Time Group “This is a ‘must have’ bible for those of us faced with the difficulty of creating effective virtual teams that bring products and services to market faster, even though everyone is separated by time and dis- tance. It balances bringing everyone’s knowledge of the available technology to the same level while providing insight and prescriptions for solving people and process issues that are critical to successful teamwork. In today’s global economy, where project teams every- where are joining meetings virtually, this book contains the new recipe for creating an effective distributed workforce.” David Martin, the CEO of Smart Technologies “The wealth of technologies and working methods available for teams and organizations can be overwhelming for those who are charged with leading collaborative strategies. But help is at hand. Authors Coleman and Levine guide us through the black hole (or portal) of our familiar business universe into the alternate world of virtual collaboration, 24/7 availability, information flows, and creative partnering.” Verna Allee, Founder ValueNet Works Also by Stewart Levine Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict Into Collaboration The Book of Agreement: 10 Essential Elements for Getting the Results You Want The Change Handbook, Chapter 52, The Cycle of Resolution Also by David Coleman Groupware: Technology and Applications Groupware: Collaborative Strategies for Corporate LANs and Intranets We write because we have to say what we believe. We discover what we believe because we write. All else of writing is but a searching for form, a style, a technique, to show those beliefs in an acceptable artistic manner. When we succeed, our hearts are on the stage to touch the hearts and minds of the audiences. It is an awesome experience. - Unknown Dedications Stewart's Dedication: For Susan Howard, for your support, caring, and all you taught me. David's Dedication: For Jennie Coleman: my wife, friend, and supportive partner who put up with my absence and preoccupation while I wrote this book. Acknowledgements We would like to thank those who contributed to the book. From David: First, I would like to thank Stewart (my co-author) and Mitchell (our publisher) for undertaking this project with me. We all collaborated well together, and I believe learned from each other. Thanks to Near-Time for the use of their technology. Reid Conrad, Steve Dischinger, and Joel Bush provided us with an account during our research process. It also allowed us to collaborate on content and store various versions of the book while it was in process. We will also be offering a more dynamic, wiki-like form of the book through Near-Time in an online community at: http://collaborate.com/book. Thanks to Rich Baker of Glance, an account that allowed us to easily share desktops. Using Glance 2.0, I could show Stewart (and others) what I meant and was able to share context as well as content. Through easy screen sharing, we were able to resolve many issues in true collaborative fashion without having the need to drive across the San Francisco Bay each time. Thanks to the guys at Huddle for the use of their team space for the proofreading and content checking for this book. A number of other collaboration technology vendors were most helpful in briefing us on their technology providing us with figures (graphics) and other material and contributing to my understanding of various behaviors and trends in the collaborative technologies arena. I want to thank Mitchell Levy who has been working with us to get this timely book published in six months (rather than the long wait we have experienced working with other publishers). Mitchell also allowed us to experiment with developing online, dynamic, and collaborative versions of this book. Thanks to my wife Jennie for gracing me with all the nights and weekends I needed to work on the book, which was time I could not spend with her. Thanks to Ann Marcus, a Collaborative Strategies colleague, technology professional and my friend of 25 years, who collaborated on some of the research and presentations from which some of the material for this book was taken.

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