April 29, 2013

“It’s fair to say that one’s approach to running a business is likely driven by one’s understanding of nature of competition.” Different case studies are viewing what it means to be competitive such as, “focus on Improving their own business” or entrepreneurs viewing fellow peers as “colleagues”. The article also focuses on looking at your business though you were “playing emperor”.

What it means to be “an effective unit” is scrutinized more closely in this article. “The single strongest predictor of group effectiveness was the amount of help that analysts gave to each other. In the highest-performing teams, analysts invested extensive time and energy in coaching, teaching, and consulting with their colleagues.” Fascinating insights on how helping behaviors can be demonstrated through “seeking help”, “reciprocity rings”(which first ask for personal requests and then professional requests) and allowing employees to request something personal they want in their lives and having it granted. Also, the different traits of a “giver culture”, “taker culture” and “match culture is explored.

“In this age of downsizing, outsourcing, and virtual organizations, managers are desperate to optimize the human resources at their disposal, regardless of where they reside. Figuring out what motivates people to cooperate (i.e. collaborate) with peers is a difficult challenge.” This article reveals the findings of two articles that provides background to promoting collaboration. Some of the seven findings that encourage human cooperation are to “reward-but not necessarily with money…find elements that are valued by team members”and “frame the business appropriately” which makes context a motivating factor.