Achieving Organizational Goals by Continually and Effectively Sharing Information

“The more we can organize, find and manage information, the more effectively we can function in our modern world.” – Vint Cerf

Sharing in a work or business environment requires collaboration. One definition of collaboration is the process of two or more people working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. A big part of any collaborative effort is the use and sharing of information.  In almost any work or business process, information can be the tool or the glue that puts a process or project together.  

Collaboration is necessary when the interaction between or among work groups is geared toward a common goal and success is dependent on the whole group. So, in an information sharing collaborative environment specific goals may differ but also be compatible.  A simple example is when a collaborative team must meet a common deadline on a project.  

Collaboration with respect to the sharing of information requires effective communication among different people and groups.  Effective collaboration has a need to disregard the typical “boundaries” that can exist between departments within an organization. Collaboration by its nature, and when it is working effectively, emphasizes cooperation. Cooperation can reduce and or eliminate misinformation, conflict, duplication of effort and wasted time.  

Almost any form of teamwork requires a collaborative effort and for that effort to be effective information must be shared among all the participants.  This is true for work groups as well as sports teams.  Everyone must know their role in order to ensure a win.  That includes knowing the strategies, methods or plays to be employed.  

Lastly in a modern information sharing, collaborative environment a communication system or process is necessary to ensure that everyone involved in the effort has access to the same information at the same time.  An effective system would be one where procedures, specifications, questions, comments and answers can be easily accessible to any member of the collaborative as well as to those persons who have oversight responsibility.

Jason Elder

Design Engineer