Collaborate: The Art of We

Praise for Collaborate

"This book is a pair of glasses that you didn′t know you needed.Every strategic–thinking business person needs to put them on andfeel their threatening competitive landscape transform into anocean of opportunity."
Mark Jacobs, creative strategist, Jelly Helm Studio

"If you like the sound of out–collaborating your competition,this book is for you."
Rich Lawrence, senior director, Idelle Labs

"If it is true that when the student is ready the teacher will appear, and that chance favors the prepared mind, then successful collaboration happens when creative ideas meet practical application. Dan′s observations on people, process, and technology are like throwing enriched plutonium onto a thermonuclear reaction."
Mark Stallcup, collaboration project management, Walmart Stores Inc.

"Dan is essentially presenting the entire business community with a provocative choice: collaborate or die. Thankfully he gives us the ultimate collaboration toolkit."
Greg Fleishman, vice president of marketing, Sambazon

"As the process of change continues to accelerate in our world, Dan′s vision offers a model that is dynamic, adaptive and innovative."
Mark Goldstein, chairman of the board, president and CEO, Scotts Liquid Gold

"Old–line businesses are frustrated by these new collaborations that come along and win the market. Dan fearlessly collaborates beyond the four walls of his own organization, and he explains how it all works."
Damon Schechter, CEO, Shipwire, Inc.

"Man has idea. Man quits job. Man creates company. Man works hard. Man fails. Man COLLABORATES. Man succeeds. This book is recipe for success."
Shan Pesaru, CEO, Sharp Hue, Inc.

Foreword ix

Preface xv

Introduction xix

1 What Collaboration Is and Isn′t 1

2 Dawn of the Knowledge–Based Collaborative Era 17

3 The Collaboration Payoff 37

4 Risks of Collaboration 59

5 Collaboration Essentials 73

6 Stages of Collaboration 89

7 Setting Up for Success 107

8 Strategies for a Successful Collaboration 121

9 The Role of Technology and Social Media in Collaboration 137

10 Fostering a Collaborative Culture in Your Organization 151

Afterword 169

References 171

About the Author 179

Index 181

Dan Sanker is the founder, CEO,and president of CaseStack, a company that has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States by Inc. Magazine, Entre–preneur, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Under his leadership, CaseStack has been chosen as "One of the Best Places to Work," and is noteworthy for its innovative technology and collaborative relationships. Sanker has held leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, Nabisco, Deloitte, and KPMG.He has been published, quoted, orprofiled in numerous publicationsincluding the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. He has been named a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards multiple times. He received his MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and attended Kansai University in Japan, University of London, and Institute for European Studies in Austria. Sanker was recognized as a "Green Supply Chain Professional to Know," and he was a founder of the Green Valley Initiative, an economic development organization promoting sustainability technology.