1. Collaboration Strategies
Sandra McIntyre, Program Director, MWDL March 27, 2013

2. Collaboration is difficult and takes a lot more energy.
Myth or Fact? 1
Collaboration is difficult and takes a lot more energy.

3. Collaboration is difficult and takes a lot more energy.
Myth or Fact? 1
Collaboration is difficult and takes a lot more energy.
Myth. Initially, it can be difficult, but typically it produces more energy than it consumes.

4. Collaboration can result in better outcomes and lower costs.
Myth or Fact? 2
Collaboration can result in better outcomes and lower costs.

5. Collaboration can result in better outcomes and lower costs.
Myth or Fact? 2
Collaboration can result in better outcomes and lower costs.
Fact.

6. You shouldn’t borrow other people’s ideas.
Myth or Fact? 3
You shouldn’t borrow other people’s ideas.

7. You shouldn’t borrow other people’s ideas.
Myth or Fact? 3
You shouldn’t borrow other people’s ideas.
Myth. Re-using winning ideas is a good idea and usually part of the intent of the originator. Acknowledge the basis and build on it to improve it.

8. Everything should be done collaboratively.
Myth or Fact? 4
Everything should be done collaboratively.

9. 4 Everything should be done collaboratively. Myth or Fact?
Myth. Some tasks are suited for individual or very small group effort.

10. Myth or Fact? 5
All collaborators must work on the core team. All collaborators must have the same high level of commitment to the project.

11. Myth or Fact? 5
All collaborators must work on the core team. All collaborators must have the same high level of commitment to the project.
Myth. While it is helpful to have a small core team, other collaborators can contribute at different levels of commitment.

12. Myth or Fact? 6
Collaboration means all decisions must be 100% endorsed by every stakeholder.

13. Myth or Fact? 6
Collaboration means all decisions must be 100% endorsed by every stakeholder.
Myth. Collaborators will participate in different aspects of the project and may not agree with all of them.

14. The ideal size for a core team is 5-8 participants.
Myth or Fact? 7
The ideal size for a core team is 5-8 participants.

15. The ideal size for a core team is 5-8 participants.
Myth or Fact? 7
The ideal size for a core team is 5-8 participants.
Fact. This size is large enough to share the work but small enough to communicate and establish common values.

16. Myth or Fact? 8
Collaboration means no one takes the lead, and everyone does the same work.

17. Myth or Fact? 8
Collaboration means no one takes the lead, and everyone does the same work.
Myth. Leadership takes different forms within the core team. Team members will gravitate toward tasks that they can lead on.

18. It is desirable in a collaboration to create a sense of an “in crowd”.
Myth or Fact? 9
It is desirable in a collaboration to create a sense of an “in crowd”.

19. It is desirable in a collaboration to create a sense of an “in crowd”.
Myth or Fact? 9
It is desirable in a collaboration to create a sense of an “in crowd”.
Myth. This is a natural tendency within many small groups, but productive collaborations will remain open to new people.

20. Myth or Fact? 10
You shouldn’t share how you succeeded with others. This is unseemly bragging.

21. Myth or Fact? 10
You shouldn’t share how you succeeded with others. This is unseemly bragging.
Myth. Others are relying you to share your successes so they can repeat them and build on them.

22. Quality Control groups at a local manufacturing plant
Scenario #1
Quality Control groups at a local manufacturing plant
Across departments
Problem-solving for intractable problems
Group proposals
My group’s proposal: recycling cloth spools – saved $10,000 in first six months

23. Scenario #2 MWDL Task Forces Metadata Task Force Training Task Force
Outreach Task Force
Institutional Repositories Task Force
In formation: Geospatial Metadata Task Force

24. Digital Public Library of America
Success Story #3
Digital Public Library of America
Workstreams
Portal
Policies
In process: Digital Hubs Pilot Project

25. College and University Libraries
MWDL Collaborators
MWDL
College and University Libraries

26. College and University Libraries Museums
MWDL
College and University Libraries
Museums
Archives and Historical Societies

27. College and University Libraries Museums
MWDL
College and University Libraries
Museums
Archives and Historical Societies
Government Agencies

28. College and University Libraries LDS Church Libraries Museums
MWDL
College and University Libraries
LDS Church Libraries
Museums
Archives and Historical Societies
Govern-ment Agencies
Legis-lators
MLIS pro-grams
Interns
Digiti-zation Vend-ors
Con-tent Portals
Other Colla-bora-tives

29. College and Univer-sity Libraries LDS Church Libraries Museums
MWDL
College and Univer-sity Libraries
LDS Church Libraries
Museums
Archives and Historical Societies
Govern-ment Agencies
Legis-lators
MLIS pro-grams
In-terns
Vend-ors
Con-tent Por-tals
Other Colla-bora-tives
Digital Public Library of America
National Funders

30. Collaborators Community Tree Planting Collaborator Contribution
Example: 10 minutes in large group
See Handout #1

31. Collaborators Your Project Collaborator Contribution See Handout #2
Working in project groups: 10 minutes to get at least 10 collaborators and identify their possible contributions.
Sharing highlights with whole group: 15 minutes total
See Handout #2

32. Collaboration Process
What’s the exact issue?
What’s been done already?
What issues are in the background?
What is the first objective?
Do we need a pilot project?
Who can contribute?
Who will influence the adoption of our change? What do they need to know or have?

33. Collaboration Process
Your process for collaborating beyond your core team
First three steps
Issues that have already emerged
What you can do next

34. “If you want to go fast, go alone.
Choosing
“If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far,
go together.”
African proverb

35. Questions?
Sandra McIntyre Program Director Mountain West Digital Library