On reflection, I found working through the blogs on a weekly basis quite interesting, because most of the subject areas we had focused on, I never really considered being part of collaboration. Before doing these blogs, I thought collaboration was just a group of people working in a team on a particular subject or area of interests.
While this is true, I discovered that it is a lot more, areas that I wouldn’t have even considered like deplane, record, knowledge, remuneration, intent, planning and context to be part of the collaboration process. However, during my weekly research, I found out that these are as just as important to the collaboration process as conflict, hierarchy, planning and discipline.
While my research only touched the surface in this process, I did learn the fundamental basics of collaboration, and with this I now have a fundamental understanding of what goes on in business. I hope by learning these basics, I can have a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes during collaboration.
When I have completed our course and go into the real world, I will be collaborating with various people, companies and groups on a daily basis. I feel after researching the areas of collaboration during this course it would at least have helped me to understand how collaboration works within the business world.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Conclusion
Collaboration is seen by most, as working together as a team, and while this is true, there is a lot more. Throughout these series of blogs, nine areas of collaboration within the architectural industry were looked at and how it affected and influenced the collaboration. While all nine areas are vastly different from each other, each are affected by one another.
As discussed throughout the blogs, collaboration is seen as the most vital component to the success of a business. If the collaboration process fails such as planning, conflict, record etc, the success of a business will collapse as collaboration is always happening within a business, and if people can’t get along, then failure will almost be certain. However, if collaboration works, then success is almost assured.
Collaboration occurs daily and by reading each component through these blogs, a basic understanding will be achieved. Knowing what happens behind the scenes helps everyone involved to understand what goes on, why teamwork is necessary and how collaboration helps to build a better team.
Overall collaboration is a tool that everyone should use throughout their working lives and by just working together in a team is only a small part of the collaboration process. To understand the other components helps to understand what occurs in collaboration.
As discussed throughout the blogs, collaboration is seen as the most vital component to the success of a business. If the collaboration process fails such as planning, conflict, record etc, the success of a business will collapse as collaboration is always happening within a business, and if people can’t get along, then failure will almost be certain. However, if collaboration works, then success is almost assured.
Collaboration occurs daily and by reading each component through these blogs, a basic understanding will be achieved. Knowing what happens behind the scenes helps everyone involved to understand what goes on, why teamwork is necessary and how collaboration helps to build a better team.
Overall collaboration is a tool that everyone should use throughout their working lives and by just working together in a team is only a small part of the collaboration process. To understand the other components helps to understand what occurs in collaboration.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Week 12 – Conflict
As collaboration is all about working together as a team all working for a common goal and/or purpose, conflict between team members is bond to happen. Conflicts can range from war between countries to a small argument between siblings. However the dictionary explanation stats that conflict are 1a. State of opposition b. fight, struggle, 2. Clashing of opposed interests, principles etc. [1]
Conflict can be external (between one or more people) or internal (within oneself) and occur in many stages, be that on the political stage and within the workplace (this can lead to stress and unsetting within a company) [2].
Conflict in the workplace can lead to serious problems for a business and some of the consequence for a business could include:
· miscommunication resulting from confusion or refusal to cooperate,
· quality problems,
· missed deadlines or delays,
· increased stress among employees,
· reduced creative collaboration and team problem solving,
· disruption to work flow,
· decreased customer satisfaction,
· distrust,
· split camps, and
· office gossip.
So what leads to conflict within a workplace? This is quite a hard question to answer as each conflict is very different all with very different circumstances. However, some circumstances are all very similar and this could be the workplace environment, personality clashes be that management and/or fellow employees, different options and/or poor communication and even office romances. According to the Australian government, conflict occurs within the workplace, when people’s ideas and decisions are different to other people own ideas [3].
Within a work environment, conflicts can occur in small groups such as committees, task force or workgroups. Conflicts within groups can occur because of position, freedom and resources. People who want a lot of power will try and dominate other people with a group, and therefore try and make life hell.
While conflict can be all negative and lead to a war between varies parties, in some respect, conflict can be very positive in a collaborative environment. This is because conflict can lead to members of a team to think and work harder to make sure it can lead to an agreement amongst team members [4]. However, if conflict continues, negotiation will need to happen amongst team members so a resolution can be resolved.
The principle of negotiation and resolution should be left only to a small collaborative group but can be conducted throughout the whole organization and in 1976; Thomas and Kilman address some of these.
Avoidance – trying to a postpone or ignoring a possible dangerous situation can be very useful, by just leaving, changing a subject or buying time.
Collaboration – this works in a small group and should also work in a large group as well, however it can be very time consuming Collaboration will never work if conflicts have gone on for too long whereby their isn’t any trust, respect or no communication. If this is the case, then trying to resolve the conflict will never happen.
Compromise or negation – having a negotiator or an independent person to sit in the middle and work out a compromise is in my opinion the best way to go. This is because all involved have a say. Comprise can take a long time and can last anywhere form hours too many months, but the conclusion is the same, where all parties agree and are happy with the result.
Giving up – If are conflict continues for too long with a person either higher above you or has a more dominant personality, then giving in to them and agreeing may be the only way to go. I personality don’t agree with this because these people think that they can not only dominant other people, but make there life hell. Everyone knows someone like this and having a conflict with them may not be an opinion as you are likely to lose, and trying to compromise with them doesn’t work and they refuse to listen. [5]
Managers can also do a lot when conflicts occur, by trying not to blame one person (if there is a personality clash between the two) and avoid any excuses. Managers need to recognize any early warning signs though various interactive behaviors amongst varies employees and if there is any disharmony between people a manager should come in and prevent any potential conflicts [6]. If they do not, a small conflict will grow into a massive one and then all hell could break lose and then everyone will suffer. Managers should view this as an opportunity as if future conflicts are avoided, it should lead to greater harmony and this leads to a improved and happier working environment.
Conflict is a situation that everyone has faced, is facing or will face in a workplace and how to handle it, will be different each and every time it occurs. But how it has/was handle is the key to success be that through collaboration, conflict resolution or negotiation.
References
1. Edited by Bruce Moore, The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary – Fourth Edition, 1996, Oxford University Press.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_conflict
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_conflict
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_conflict
Image 1 - http://www.irishentrepreneur.com/latest_articles/07_04/workplace_conflict.asp
Image 2 - http://www.life2point0.com/2007/05/never_be_afraid.html
Conflict can be external (between one or more people) or internal (within oneself) and occur in many stages, be that on the political stage and within the workplace (this can lead to stress and unsetting within a company) [2].
Conflict in the workplace can lead to serious problems for a business and some of the consequence for a business could include:
· miscommunication resulting from confusion or refusal to cooperate,
· quality problems,
· missed deadlines or delays,
· increased stress among employees,
· reduced creative collaboration and team problem solving,
· disruption to work flow,
· decreased customer satisfaction,
· distrust,
· split camps, and
· office gossip.
So what leads to conflict within a workplace? This is quite a hard question to answer as each conflict is very different all with very different circumstances. However, some circumstances are all very similar and this could be the workplace environment, personality clashes be that management and/or fellow employees, different options and/or poor communication and even office romances. According to the Australian government, conflict occurs within the workplace, when people’s ideas and decisions are different to other people own ideas [3].Within a work environment, conflicts can occur in small groups such as committees, task force or workgroups. Conflicts within groups can occur because of position, freedom and resources. People who want a lot of power will try and dominate other people with a group, and therefore try and make life hell.
While conflict can be all negative and lead to a war between varies parties, in some respect, conflict can be very positive in a collaborative environment. This is because conflict can lead to members of a team to think and work harder to make sure it can lead to an agreement amongst team members [4]. However, if conflict continues, negotiation will need to happen amongst team members so a resolution can be resolved.
The principle of negotiation and resolution should be left only to a small collaborative group but can be conducted throughout the whole organization and in 1976; Thomas and Kilman address some of these.
Avoidance – trying to a postpone or ignoring a possible dangerous situation can be very useful, by just leaving, changing a subject or buying time.
Collaboration – this works in a small group and should also work in a large group as well, however it can be very time consuming Collaboration will never work if conflicts have gone on for too long whereby their isn’t any trust, respect or no communication. If this is the case, then trying to resolve the conflict will never happen.
Compromise or negation – having a negotiator or an independent person to sit in the middle and work out a compromise is in my opinion the best way to go. This is because all involved have a say. Comprise can take a long time and can last anywhere form hours too many months, but the conclusion is the same, where all parties agree and are happy with the result.
Giving up – If are conflict continues for too long with a person either higher above you or has a more dominant personality, then giving in to them and agreeing may be the only way to go. I personality don’t agree with this because these people think that they can not only dominant other people, but make there life hell. Everyone knows someone like this and having a conflict with them may not be an opinion as you are likely to lose, and trying to compromise with them doesn’t work and they refuse to listen. [5]Managers can also do a lot when conflicts occur, by trying not to blame one person (if there is a personality clash between the two) and avoid any excuses. Managers need to recognize any early warning signs though various interactive behaviors amongst varies employees and if there is any disharmony between people a manager should come in and prevent any potential conflicts [6]. If they do not, a small conflict will grow into a massive one and then all hell could break lose and then everyone will suffer. Managers should view this as an opportunity as if future conflicts are avoided, it should lead to greater harmony and this leads to a improved and happier working environment.
Conflict is a situation that everyone has faced, is facing or will face in a workplace and how to handle it, will be different each and every time it occurs. But how it has/was handle is the key to success be that through collaboration, conflict resolution or negotiation.
References
1. Edited by Bruce Moore, The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary – Fourth Edition, 1996, Oxford University Press.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_conflict
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_conflict
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_conflict
Image 1 - http://www.irishentrepreneur.com/latest_articles/07_04/workplace_conflict.asp
Image 2 - http://www.life2point0.com/2007/05/never_be_afraid.html
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Week 11 – Planning
According to the Oxford Dictionary, planning or plan has many different definitions, but the one that is closely related to collaboration are 1. Method or procedure for doing something; design, 2 intention, and 3 aim at; intend (1). In general, it is all about looking ahead into the future. In order to plan ahead, particularly in a business environment, collaboration is almost essential.
Planning is important because it helps to maintain and create a plan for the future. For this to be achieved, a thought process through collaborative meetings needs to take place. During these meetings, discussions could focus on creating or defining a plan, and should include preparation of various scenarios through forecasting and what to do when one of these scenarios comes into being. This collaborative planning is essential for the success of a business, because without planning for various and different scenarios, a business will fail.
Not one person should organise a plan as a plan is too big for one person to achieve. It is important to have many ideas so all can have a say in preparing for the future and all we have ideas when various scenarios occur.
During these collaborative meetings, they should outline realistic expectations and should include short, medium and long term plans (2)
.
While planning a plan through meetings is seen as vital within a business, but businesses do business with other businesses, and this is called Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment or CPFR for short. CPFR is used to help and enhance collaboration between businesses through the sharing of information to enhance the supply chain. Information on customer demands and planning for changing in them and helps to update any necessary changes.
A CPFR model helps to maintain focus through a basic framework of information, goods, and services. These models usually consists of three or more rings where the centre is the customer or client and the middle ring is the main company providing the service and the outside ring provides the service for the company where we go and visit. These outside rings can have arrows in a circular pattern to indicate the many collaboration arrangements like business plans, forecasting and orders.
While one may see that the CPFR plan only related to the retail or manufacturing industry, this plan can be changed to reflect the architectural industry. The inner ring will be the customer, the middle ring is the company that provides the service for that customer and the outside ring is all the builders, engineers, and any other consultants that help with the entire design and construction of a particular building (3).
The CPFR plan I see as a necessity in today business community because working with other businesses is a guaranteed to occur with the hiring of professional consultants is seen as important for the successful of a building. By having a plan between one or more businesses, they all have a focus on the job at hand running from the start of the design to completion when the clients move in and should include everything throughout the life of a design.
This plan helps with all communication and the flow of this information needs to be gathered and spread amongst all companies involved. Without a rigid plan, anything can happen (i.e. Chinese Whispers) and miscommunication will occur between all involved. This will lead to problems and the collapse and ultimate stop to a design.
Finally, a business plan and CPFR plan helps all to focus and plan for any scenarios that may arise in the future, because without it, everything will fail and a lot of money will be lost.
Planning is important because it helps to maintain and create a plan for the future. For this to be achieved, a thought process through collaborative meetings needs to take place. During these meetings, discussions could focus on creating or defining a plan, and should include preparation of various scenarios through forecasting and what to do when one of these scenarios comes into being. This collaborative planning is essential for the success of a business, because without planning for various and different scenarios, a business will fail.
Not one person should organise a plan as a plan is too big for one person to achieve. It is important to have many ideas so all can have a say in preparing for the future and all we have ideas when various scenarios occur.
During these collaborative meetings, they should outline realistic expectations and should include short, medium and long term plans (2)
.While planning a plan through meetings is seen as vital within a business, but businesses do business with other businesses, and this is called Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment or CPFR for short. CPFR is used to help and enhance collaboration between businesses through the sharing of information to enhance the supply chain. Information on customer demands and planning for changing in them and helps to update any necessary changes.
A CPFR model helps to maintain focus through a basic framework of information, goods, and services. These models usually consists of three or more rings where the centre is the customer or client and the middle ring is the main company providing the service and the outside ring provides the service for the company where we go and visit. These outside rings can have arrows in a circular pattern to indicate the many collaboration arrangements like business plans, forecasting and orders.
While one may see that the CPFR plan only related to the retail or manufacturing industry, this plan can be changed to reflect the architectural industry. The inner ring will be the customer, the middle ring is the company that provides the service for that customer and the outside ring is all the builders, engineers, and any other consultants that help with the entire design and construction of a particular building (3).
The CPFR plan I see as a necessity in today business community because working with other businesses is a guaranteed to occur with the hiring of professional consultants is seen as important for the successful of a building. By having a plan between one or more businesses, they all have a focus on the job at hand running from the start of the design to completion when the clients move in and should include everything throughout the life of a design.
This plan helps with all communication and the flow of this information needs to be gathered and spread amongst all companies involved. Without a rigid plan, anything can happen (i.e. Chinese Whispers) and miscommunication will occur between all involved. This will lead to problems and the collapse and ultimate stop to a design.
Finally, a business plan and CPFR plan helps all to focus and plan for any scenarios that may arise in the future, because without it, everything will fail and a lot of money will be lost.
References
1. Edited by Bruce Moore, The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary – Fourth Edition, 1996, Oxford University Press.
Image 1 - http://www.despair.com/planning.html
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Week 10 – Remuneration
The definition of remuneration goes as far back as 1470-1480 from the Latin word remuneracion. The website, Dictionary.com states that remuneration is 1. Something that remunerates: reward; pay, and 2. Payment or compensation received for services or employment. This would include any base salary and bonuses made along with other economic benefits made of an employee or executive during their employment [1].If one looks at the definitions and they will realizes that remuneration revolves around money. As we deal with money every day and with remuneration being part of it, we need to break down the definition into a handful of examples as to understand what it is. Despite the following example coming from Canada, they are pretty much universal.
salaries and wages
bonuses, commission and other similar payments
holiday pay, taxable allowances and benefits
directors' fees
payments for casual labour
amounts paid by an employer to 'top up' benefits, and
advances of salaries and wages. [2]
Commission based remuneration is used to reward sales people on good work. These rewards are usually worked out as a percentage of the total sales price. [3]
So how is this related to collaboration? As we all have learned working together as a team, involves collaboration, and in the professional environment, this can bring rewards and benefits to the team in the way of greater respect and greater acknowledgment to the wider community. This respect, will grow if the team designs a building that wins national and international awards. By winning major awards, this will lead to the possibility of designing bigger and greater buildings, leading to larger commissions meaning more money for the team. By winning an awarded, the team, should increase the reputation of the company they work, leading to more clients and greater profits.With the whole world and our daily lives revolves around money and how we use it, remuneration is seen as an important issue. As we have seen, everyone gets some form of remuneration be that rewards, salaries or commissions. Overall, we need remuneration makes the world go around.
References
1.Dictionary.com (remuneration), viewed on 17th May 2008
2.www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/taxes/eht/faq_remuneration.html viewed on 17th May 2008
3.http://eng.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remuneration
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Week 9 – Context
Sorry, for being a bit late, i have been flat out and forgot.So here is my week 9 blog - Context.
How often do we hear on the news or radio and/or read in the newspaper that when someone has said something and it was reported incorrectly, and a day or two later they stated “they were taken out of context!”, then its definition is definitely not taken out of context. The Australian Oxford Dictionary explains that context is 1. parts that surround a word or passage and its meaning. 2. Circumstances relevant to something under consideration (must be seen in context) 1.
How is this related to collaboration within an architectural firm?
As collaboration is all about communication amongst members of a team or within a company, any communication will need to be explained carefully and without conflicting messages. This is seen as important as miscommunication will lead to the message being taken out of context and will do a task completely wrong or have a “Chinese Whisper” affect, whereby messages will be conflicting. If a message is taken out of context and misunderstood, it will cost money, time and possibly jobs, so therefore it is vital, messages are explained clearly. This form of context is described as being a verbal context 2.
While not verbal, another form of context could be in the form of body language and expression. This is probably just as important as the spoken word as how we present ourselves in the form of expression through body movement, may be different to what we are saying through our mouths. In other words, the body is saying one thing and or mouth is saying another. If someone is reading one body language and listening to what that person is saying, they may misinterpret one of these forms of communication and get a task wrong. So it is important that what is said is expressed in the body language, because if it isn’t, then problems in miscommunication will occur.
Apart from verbal context, there is also social context, whereby it is related to class, gender etc 3. This may not seem as important collaboration, but I think it should be. The reason for this will be that if everyone is from the same background, then communication and collaboration will be easier. For example, a team of scientists will have better communication when in a team, then say if a team comprised of many different deplanes, but this doesn’t mean it won’t work, it just means it may take some time.
In conclusion the use of context is very important because if something is “taken out of context”, it leads to miscommunication and finally will lead to many problems not only for a company but the people involved.
References
1. Edited by Bruce Moore, The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary – Fourth Edition, 1996, Oxford University Press.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context_(language_use)
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context_(language_use)
Image - http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/o/out_of_context.asp
How often do we hear on the news or radio and/or read in the newspaper that when someone has said something and it was reported incorrectly, and a day or two later they stated “they were taken out of context!”, then its definition is definitely not taken out of context. The Australian Oxford Dictionary explains that context is 1. parts that surround a word or passage and its meaning. 2. Circumstances relevant to something under consideration (must be seen in context) 1.
How is this related to collaboration within an architectural firm?
As collaboration is all about communication amongst members of a team or within a company, any communication will need to be explained carefully and without conflicting messages. This is seen as important as miscommunication will lead to the message being taken out of context and will do a task completely wrong or have a “Chinese Whisper” affect, whereby messages will be conflicting. If a message is taken out of context and misunderstood, it will cost money, time and possibly jobs, so therefore it is vital, messages are explained clearly. This form of context is described as being a verbal context 2.While not verbal, another form of context could be in the form of body language and expression. This is probably just as important as the spoken word as how we present ourselves in the form of expression through body movement, may be different to what we are saying through our mouths. In other words, the body is saying one thing and or mouth is saying another. If someone is reading one body language and listening to what that person is saying, they may misinterpret one of these forms of communication and get a task wrong. So it is important that what is said is expressed in the body language, because if it isn’t, then problems in miscommunication will occur.
Apart from verbal context, there is also social context, whereby it is related to class, gender etc 3. This may not seem as important collaboration, but I think it should be. The reason for this will be that if everyone is from the same background, then communication and collaboration will be easier. For example, a team of scientists will have better communication when in a team, then say if a team comprised of many different deplanes, but this doesn’t mean it won’t work, it just means it may take some time.
In conclusion the use of context is very important because if something is “taken out of context”, it leads to miscommunication and finally will lead to many problems not only for a company but the people involved.
References
1. Edited by Bruce Moore, The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary – Fourth Edition, 1996, Oxford University Press.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context_(language_use)
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Context_(language_use)
Image - http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/o/out_of_context.asp
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Stuffed Computer
Hi team, my computer packed it again early yesterday, meaning i won't be able to do any max stuff until at least tomorrow or tuesday night.
SORRY.
SORRY.
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