How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions [Paperback]

David Straus (Author), Thomas C. Layton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1576751287 | ISBN-13: 978-1576751282 | Publication Date: September 9, 2002

Collaboration is an everyday practice that many people find to be a frustrating, even exhausting, experience. How to Make Collaboration Work provides a remedy: five principles of collaboration that have been tested and refined in organizations throughout the world. Author David Straus shows that these methods can help any group make better decisions and function more effectively. The five principles are: Involve the Relevant Stakeholders, Build Consensus Phase by Phase, Design a Process Map, Designate a Process Facilitator, and Harness the Power of Group Memory. Each principle addresses the specific challenges people face when trying to work collaboratively, and each can be applied to any problem-solving scenario.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lawyers, consultants, accountants and managers need to learn how to manage conflict and build effective teams. David Straus captures in this lively book all the best learning about how professionals can facilitate collaboration." -Robert H. Mnookin, Williston Professor of Law, Chairman, Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School

About the Author

David Straus is the founder of Interaction Associates, Inc. (IA) and has served in every major leadership position, including President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board. Under his guidance, IA has become a recognized leader in organizational development, group process facilitation, training, and consulting. Since its founding, Interaction Associates has consulted and provided training services to more than 1000 organizational clients, including 175 of the Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (September 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576751287
• ISBN-13: 978-1576751282
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book from a National Leader in Group Empowerment, September 10, 2002

By 

Eugene H. Pool (Belmont, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions (Paperback)

Just plain terrific. David Straus's second book is useful for anyone involved in groups, whether at work, at home, or in the community-- and isn't that all of us? He covers it all-- from very basic details such as how to arrange the furniture in your meeting room, to how to effect the most sophisticated interchanges between participants at the highest levels of authority. Whether you're in business, education, government,or consulting, you'll learn from Straus. He has worked with a wide range of clients, from Ford Motors and the E.P.A. to the City of Denver and the Boston public schools. Throughout the book, his warm personality, absolute candor, and wealth of anecdotes make his principles easy to understand and absorb. A really valuable book from a national leader in group empowerment.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, well-organized guidance., February 23, 2005

By 

Bill Godfrey (Mt Stuart, TAS Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions (Paperback)

This book does exactly what the title says it does. It provides clear, well-organized and specific guidance to building collaboration in a whole range of situations and between individuals, within groups and across organizations.

This book is likely to be useful whether you are a professional facilitator or simply someone who needs to get agreement with one or more others. Much of its advice is, of course, widely available elsewhere, but this is a good choice for a single reference. 

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How to Make Collaboration Work, August 15, 2007

By 

Mohammad Majidy "Lazy Reader" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions (Paperback)

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to work things out with their family, co-workers, managers, or any relationship you may have that requires collaboration.