Why Collaborative Learning?

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Why Collaborative Learning?

Through collaborative learning, we create a process for revealing and using tacit knowledge. The knowledge resident in one individual's head can, unbeknownst to that individual, hold the key to a new approach or innovation for another individual or group. Only through group interaction does this tacit knowledge become useable. As change accelerates, it is this current of ideas embodied in networks of people that can create positive affects in the organization.

Collaborative learning is needed to avoid the trap of getting caught in "data exchange" only. That is, organizations can meet together in partnerships and exchange information, perhaps resulting in more efficient practices, but may never go deep enough to effect transformational change. It requires a real interest in understanding the cultural blind spots (as one manager describes it "putting windows in the tunnel"), and commitment and individual skill training in boundary-spanning skills^tm. This characterizes the process of collaborative learning.
Managers must develop a different mindset: question every assumption; invest in intangible assets of knowledge, people, and networks; and be ready to diversify and reconfigure rapidly. We need: 1) acknowledgement that we do not know where the next set of changes will take us; 2) understanding that today's core technological or product competencies may be made useless in a few short years; 3) conviction that the differentiating factor between success and failure will be the ability to learn and collaborate in order to deal with discontinuous change
Traditional supervisory skills are also becoming outmoded. New leadership models require skills that involve a focus on project work, flexibility, and building consensus. Learning through and from collaboration builds the influencing skills needed to move organizations forward.
Even organizational structures are undergoing rapid change. Yesterday's competitors are today's partners and tomorrow's co-workers. Collaboration and boundary spanning approaches need to inform every external relationship, even those with competitors.