Introduction – the essence of collaborative thinking

The Dynamic Collaboration Approach starts from three critical relationships that determine the quality of collaborative thinking:

– The design of work, where we zoom in on the difference that individual collaborators have to make and how to rethink the connection between meaningful assignments. Our systemic approach uncovers the organizational structure patterns through which effective strategy realization takes place and is complementary to functional, result-oriented frameworks of functions and roles.

– The individual decision-making of employees, focusing on the individual perspective-taking from which one reinterprets assignments and the extent to which this affects the quality of thoughtful action. The insights and practices build on recent insights into how problem handling and motivational fields evolve throughout life. This approach is complementary to the competency- and skills-focused perspectives.

– Team dynamics, where we look at how teams deal with integrating the diversity of perspectives. We assume that different mutually reinforcing dialogue spaces are needed in any organized collaborative environment. This approach is complementary to frameworks that view teamwork from complementary styles and roles.

The following figure outlines the three critical questions from the Dynamic Collaboration approach.

The App

The application makes the quality of collaboration transparent, from the relationship between work design, employee decision-making, and team dynamics. The results help you to understand the root causes of quality problems, difficult strategy translation throughout the organization, lack of agility, or lack of results from innovation initiatives.

The Dynamic Collaboration Application allows you to measure the quality of thoughtful action at the individual and team levels. The application was developed with support from the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Agency (Vlaio) and is currently being used in more than 20 companies to build more targeted change management interventions. These interventions range from rethinking various sub-processes within their human capital value chain (from recruitment and selection, onboarding, training, and performance management) to rethinking approaches to achieve better teamwork or cross-team collaboration (in project work, in increasing business agility, and in realizing transitions to new operational and business models).

You can, both as a company or as a consultant, start using the application after one day of training. See the dynamic collaboration academy calendar for the open days. We adapt the content to your issues and challenges if you want training within your company.

Two modules: (1) Story generator, and (2) Values mirror

Story generator: Why a role/function exists (role design)

Capture the essence of work in a storyline
Explains the (in)coherence between four key accountabilities:
- What difference should I make to customers and stakeholders?
- What difference should I make towards improvement & innovation?
- What difference should I make in the management of resources?
- What difference should I make to planning & coordination?
The interplay between roles: overlaps and distances
- What decision-making mandate does the role/function holder have?

Login Story Generator

Values mirror: How role holders interpret their role (perspective of role holder)

Objectivizes the thinking space of the role/function holder
- Motivational field
  - From what perspective do I interpret what I should do and for whom?
  - Where are my strengths, pitfalls, and core challenges?
- Problem handling
  - From what perspective do I create options?
  - Which is my nearby zone of development?

Login Values Mirror

What the App makes possible

The App strengthens collaborative intelligence in transformation processes, both at the individual, team and organizational level.

Dynamic collaboration

What is it?

Dynamic collaboration occurs when an upward movement emerges in teams, enhancing collaborative intelligence.

How does dynamic collaboration arise?

Dynamic cooperation is created by improving the quality of the mutual and inner dialogue.

In the mutual dialogue the integration of the storylines in five key conversations is central.

In the inner dialogue we focus on the development of a double listening, i.e. the perspective that the other and you take and that determine how the storyline is effectively realized.

Five conversations

Double listening

News & activities

Dynamic Collaboration Application Training

Dynamic Collaboration Application Training The Dynamic Collaboration Application Training will enable you to get started with the digital application. The application is currently used by more than 25 companies in a diversity of programs focussing on Developing a learning organization, Solving cross functional tensions, Optimizing strategy implementation, Rethinking performance management, Enhancing innovation management, Improving operational Excellence, Building common ground (culture), Facilitating the transition towards self-organization, Reconceiving talent and leadership development, Preparing the future of [...]

Dynamic Collaboration Academy

Practical approaches not only to cope with complexity but to learn and thrive in it. Groundbreaking introduction to how employees can learn to think and act together in a different way. By Jan De Visch and Maarten Van Damme.

Practices of Dynamic Collaboration

‘Practices of Dynamic Collaboration: A Dialogical Approach to Strengthening Collaborative Intelligence in Teams’. An inspiring source of ideas that forms the basis for the various workshops and programs in the Dynamic Collaboration Academy.