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Collaborate or Perish! Reaching Across Boundaries in a Networked World
In Collaborate or Perish! former Los Angeles police chief and New York police commissioner William Bratton and Harvard Kennedy School’s Zachary Tumin lay out a field-tested playbook for collaborating across the boundaries of our networked world. Today, when everyone is connected, collaboration is the game changer. Agencies and firms, citizens and groups who can collaborate, Bratton and Tumin argue, will thrive in the networked world; those who can’t are doomed to perish.No one today is better known around the world for his ability to get citizens, governments, and industries working together to improve the safety of cities than William Bratton. At Harvard, Zachary Tumin has led senior executives from government and industry in executive sessions and classrooms for over a decade, burnishing a global reputation for insight and leadership. Together, Bratton and Tumin draw on in-depth accounts from Fortune 100 giants such as Alcoa, Wells Fargo, and Toyota; from masters of collaboration in education, social work, and the military; and from Bratton’s own storied career. Among the specific strategies they • Start collaboration with a broad vision that supporters can add to and make their own • Rightsize problems, and get value in the hands of users fast • Get the right people involved—from sponsors to grass roots • Make collaboration pay in the right currency—whether recognition, rewards, or revenue Today companies and managers face unique challenges—and opportunities—in reaching out to others, thanks to the incredibly connected world in which we live. Bratton and Tumin provide practical strategies anyone can use, from the cubicle to the boardroom. This is the ultimate guide to getting things done in today’s networked world.
- GenresBusinessManagement
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 2012
9 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
William Bratton
12 books4 followers William J. Bratton was New York City police commissioner from 1994-1996. He also served as chief of the New York City Transit Police from 1990-1992 and then as Boston’s police commissioner before returning to New York in 1994. Bratton began his career as a beat cop in Boston in 1970. In 2002, he moved to Los Angeles as head of its police department.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 23, 2014
Interesting concepts but the end sucks. It would have been nice if the authors had recapped their main ideas but instead they waxed about the Arab Spring in a clumsy attempt to link their ideas to world events. The last chapter is a disservice to the rest of the book.
May 3, 2012
This book discusses why collaboration is the key to the future of business and other areas.
I love books like these when they include a bunch of examples, which this does. Sharing information and demonstrating why (and how) people have a stake in the collaboration process are keys to success.
I love books like these when they include a bunch of examples, which this does. Sharing information and demonstrating why (and how) people have a stake in the collaboration process are keys to success.
December 31, 2013
Collaborate or Perish!: Reaching Across Boundaries in a Networked World by William Bratton and Zachary Tumin
"Collaborate or Perish!" is an interesting albeit uneven look at the essential role that collaboration plays in our networked world. Soon to be New York City Chief of Police (for a second time) William Bratton and Harvard educator Zachary Tumin provide many business and public policy case studies that illustrate how collaboration was vital behind the success of the examples provided. It fails to be the playbook that the authors promote because it lacks clear guidance on how best to collaborate. This uneven 352-page book includes the following ten chapters: 1. The Case for Collaboration, 2. Blue-Sky Vision, 3. Right-Size the Problem, 4. Make a Clearing, 5. Make it Pay, 6. Add People; Stir, 7. Performance, 8. Politics: The Glue and the Grease, 9. Leadership, and 10. Out of Egypt.
Positives:
1. Interesting business cases. Accessible book for the masses.
2. Practical business topic, collaboration in this digital age.
3. Even-handed. The authors were careful to present positive examples from both political parties.
4. The eight tests of readiness before you start collaboration. Basically each chapter covers a test of readiness.
5. The best case studies involve Bill Bratton's experiences as a Chief of Police in New York, Boston and Los Angeles. There is a command of a the topic that is palpable and credible. "As New York City's police commissioner, I quickly set out to establish a new form of policing, one that required collaboration not only between all areas of the department, but also with other agencies and the public. My goal was to transform the city and the American police profession. It all starts with a vision, I told the department: as good as we are, we can do better. But we can't do it alone. The path forward--the new platform for policing New York--came to be known as CompStat."
6. The importance of metrics. "With the command staff and consultants collaborating we developed eight core strategies. Everyone would be headed in the same direction. Managers and cops were empowered to bring about the change they wanted, but within an agreed-upon framework. Every action had to align with the plan. We gave them latitude, but held them accountable. That was the mantra."
7. The need for platform to overcome boundaries. "They had plenty of sophisticated technology and were more than willing to share information. What they lacked was a true collaboration strategy, or a platform all could use to see and move data."
8. How collaboration helped Obama become President. "The campaign's analytics team measured every move, every ad, every piece of website traffic, every e-mail campaign. They knew what worked and tweaked it. And Obama raised money--lots and lots of money. He held traditional fund-raisers, to be sure. One with Oprah raised $2.3 million. But a week later the campaign did something online called "Dinner with Obama." For a $250 donation, your name went in a digital hat, out of which four winners were picked to have dinner with the candidate. Obama raised $2.1 million from that online raffle--and repeated it numerous times."
9. The importance of a clear vision. "Your vision needs to be broad enough to appeal to a variety of people and organizations. You can't be all things to all people. But you need to be something to enough people to come together and make their aspirations a reality."
10. The very interesting case study of US ports security.
11. The four tests of readiness for collaboration.
12. Successful international case studies like the repair of an educational platform in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. "But having built a platform--a clearing where formerly disenfranchised teachers become valued collaborators--Costin has the entire system moving toward that blue-sky vision of schools with the power to change children's lives."
13. Many case studies that illustrate the value of digital platforms. "'What we did accomplish,' Miller said, `was to get all the systems running into one place--narcotics, organized crime, street crime, terrorism--and we got the people sitting next to each other.' With that clearing operational, the LA JRIC platform started pulling in new network partners."
14. Examples of failed collaboration.
15. The need to automate or perish as a business. Crisis as a motivator.
16. A casino case study. "Loveman knew he could deliver a satisfying experience to his core and other players at the casino level only through company-wide collaboration. All signs pointed then to a "same store" sales strategy--the retailer's classic move to increase loyalty and grab more of an existing customer's budget, whether for beauty, travel, or gambling."
17. Alcoa showcases a wonderful case study. "In his first days on the job, CEO Paul O'Neill did three things. He announced safety as Alcoa's supreme goal. He invited Alcoa's safety director in for an hour-long chat. And he signaled that nothing--and no one--would be spared in relentless pursuit of zero workdays lost to injury."
18. Collaboration in politics. "Politics is both the glue of collaboration, binding people to a shared future, and the grease of collaboration, making it run smoothly. Bungle the politics, and your collaboration may fail."
19. Leadership in the digital age. "In the age of the Internet, successful leadership of a collaboration relies on successfully navigating both the brick-and-mortar world of bureaucracy and the digital world that is in our pockets and on our desks."
20. The impact of the digital revolution. "We can say that the day of the great autocrats is imperiled--whether they are men and women in government, or in industry, or even in our communities and families. The networked world creates too much visibility for such tyrannies to go on without questioning."
Negatives:
1. The book fails to be the collaboration playbook that the authors espouse. Readers are required to search through the case studies to find strategies of collaboration. A synopsis or a final summary chapter would have added value.
2. The writing style is accessible but lacks panache. It doesn't engage the reader.
3. The book is uneven. Some cases flow better than others. Some cases contain much more insight than others.
4. The Kindle version did not take advantage of its ability to link.
5. How strong is the business consensus on some of the findings presented in the book? What do contrarians say?
6. Parts are better than the whole. The book overall is forgettable.
7. Below average editing. The book doesn't receive high-production value.
8. Repetitive sometimes necessary and other times to a fault or poor prose. The book lacks cohesion.
In summary, the authors succeed in providing a number of case studies that illustrate the importance of collaboration. A good number of cases studies of various fields and interest. The book however fails to be the playbook that is was championed to be. The authors did not provide a clear approach to collaboration. The case studies illustrate collaboration in practice but no so much in theory. It also fails to engage the reader. It's worth reading as part of a research paper on collaboration, otherwise it's forgettable. It's an average book.
Further recommendations: "Outliers: The Story of Success" and "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell, "Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future" by Leonard A. Schlesinger, "The Hidden Agenda: A Proven Way to Win Business and Create a Following" by Kevin Allen, "The ONE Thing" by Gary Keller, "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard" by Chip and Dan Heath, "Get Lucky: How to Put Planned Serendipity to Work for You and Your Business" by Thor Muller and Lane Becker "inGenius" by Tina Seelig, "Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business" by Barbara Annis and John Gray, "Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't" by Jeffrey Pfeffer, "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, "Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success" by Rick Newman, and "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink.
"Collaborate or Perish!" is an interesting albeit uneven look at the essential role that collaboration plays in our networked world. Soon to be New York City Chief of Police (for a second time) William Bratton and Harvard educator Zachary Tumin provide many business and public policy case studies that illustrate how collaboration was vital behind the success of the examples provided. It fails to be the playbook that the authors promote because it lacks clear guidance on how best to collaborate. This uneven 352-page book includes the following ten chapters: 1. The Case for Collaboration, 2. Blue-Sky Vision, 3. Right-Size the Problem, 4. Make a Clearing, 5. Make it Pay, 6. Add People; Stir, 7. Performance, 8. Politics: The Glue and the Grease, 9. Leadership, and 10. Out of Egypt.
Positives:
1. Interesting business cases. Accessible book for the masses.
2. Practical business topic, collaboration in this digital age.
3. Even-handed. The authors were careful to present positive examples from both political parties.
4. The eight tests of readiness before you start collaboration. Basically each chapter covers a test of readiness.
5. The best case studies involve Bill Bratton's experiences as a Chief of Police in New York, Boston and Los Angeles. There is a command of a the topic that is palpable and credible. "As New York City's police commissioner, I quickly set out to establish a new form of policing, one that required collaboration not only between all areas of the department, but also with other agencies and the public. My goal was to transform the city and the American police profession. It all starts with a vision, I told the department: as good as we are, we can do better. But we can't do it alone. The path forward--the new platform for policing New York--came to be known as CompStat."
6. The importance of metrics. "With the command staff and consultants collaborating we developed eight core strategies. Everyone would be headed in the same direction. Managers and cops were empowered to bring about the change they wanted, but within an agreed-upon framework. Every action had to align with the plan. We gave them latitude, but held them accountable. That was the mantra."
7. The need for platform to overcome boundaries. "They had plenty of sophisticated technology and were more than willing to share information. What they lacked was a true collaboration strategy, or a platform all could use to see and move data."
8. How collaboration helped Obama become President. "The campaign's analytics team measured every move, every ad, every piece of website traffic, every e-mail campaign. They knew what worked and tweaked it. And Obama raised money--lots and lots of money. He held traditional fund-raisers, to be sure. One with Oprah raised $2.3 million. But a week later the campaign did something online called "Dinner with Obama." For a $250 donation, your name went in a digital hat, out of which four winners were picked to have dinner with the candidate. Obama raised $2.1 million from that online raffle--and repeated it numerous times."
9. The importance of a clear vision. "Your vision needs to be broad enough to appeal to a variety of people and organizations. You can't be all things to all people. But you need to be something to enough people to come together and make their aspirations a reality."
10. The very interesting case study of US ports security.
11. The four tests of readiness for collaboration.
12. Successful international case studies like the repair of an educational platform in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. "But having built a platform--a clearing where formerly disenfranchised teachers become valued collaborators--Costin has the entire system moving toward that blue-sky vision of schools with the power to change children's lives."
13. Many case studies that illustrate the value of digital platforms. "'What we did accomplish,' Miller said, `was to get all the systems running into one place--narcotics, organized crime, street crime, terrorism--and we got the people sitting next to each other.' With that clearing operational, the LA JRIC platform started pulling in new network partners."
14. Examples of failed collaboration.
15. The need to automate or perish as a business. Crisis as a motivator.
16. A casino case study. "Loveman knew he could deliver a satisfying experience to his core and other players at the casino level only through company-wide collaboration. All signs pointed then to a "same store" sales strategy--the retailer's classic move to increase loyalty and grab more of an existing customer's budget, whether for beauty, travel, or gambling."
17. Alcoa showcases a wonderful case study. "In his first days on the job, CEO Paul O'Neill did three things. He announced safety as Alcoa's supreme goal. He invited Alcoa's safety director in for an hour-long chat. And he signaled that nothing--and no one--would be spared in relentless pursuit of zero workdays lost to injury."
18. Collaboration in politics. "Politics is both the glue of collaboration, binding people to a shared future, and the grease of collaboration, making it run smoothly. Bungle the politics, and your collaboration may fail."
19. Leadership in the digital age. "In the age of the Internet, successful leadership of a collaboration relies on successfully navigating both the brick-and-mortar world of bureaucracy and the digital world that is in our pockets and on our desks."
20. The impact of the digital revolution. "We can say that the day of the great autocrats is imperiled--whether they are men and women in government, or in industry, or even in our communities and families. The networked world creates too much visibility for such tyrannies to go on without questioning."
Negatives:
1. The book fails to be the collaboration playbook that the authors espouse. Readers are required to search through the case studies to find strategies of collaboration. A synopsis or a final summary chapter would have added value.
2. The writing style is accessible but lacks panache. It doesn't engage the reader.
3. The book is uneven. Some cases flow better than others. Some cases contain much more insight than others.
4. The Kindle version did not take advantage of its ability to link.
5. How strong is the business consensus on some of the findings presented in the book? What do contrarians say?
6. Parts are better than the whole. The book overall is forgettable.
7. Below average editing. The book doesn't receive high-production value.
8. Repetitive sometimes necessary and other times to a fault or poor prose. The book lacks cohesion.
In summary, the authors succeed in providing a number of case studies that illustrate the importance of collaboration. A good number of cases studies of various fields and interest. The book however fails to be the playbook that is was championed to be. The authors did not provide a clear approach to collaboration. The case studies illustrate collaboration in practice but no so much in theory. It also fails to engage the reader. It's worth reading as part of a research paper on collaboration, otherwise it's forgettable. It's an average book.
Further recommendations: "Outliers: The Story of Success" and "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell, "Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future" by Leonard A. Schlesinger, "The Hidden Agenda: A Proven Way to Win Business and Create a Following" by Kevin Allen, "The ONE Thing" by Gary Keller, "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard" by Chip and Dan Heath, "Get Lucky: How to Put Planned Serendipity to Work for You and Your Business" by Thor Muller and Lane Becker "inGenius" by Tina Seelig, "Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business" by Barbara Annis and John Gray, "Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't" by Jeffrey Pfeffer, "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, "Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success" by Rick Newman, and "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink.
October 11, 2018
A decent enough book but didn't really go into any of its main points enough detail to provide significant insight. Nor did it adequately collect those ideas into a more presentable or digestible format.
October 13, 2018
Very good, very accessible, lots of useful thinking. There were obviously some areas that were more fully formed than others or more precisely defined within the book. I took a lot from it that I’ll use
May 22, 2014
I mostly think that books about technology (unless from a historical perspective) shuld not be pushed through historical media, as the time it takes to write and publish outmodes the technology written about. This book proves that rule.
It was highly narrative, and self-referential. The narratives ranged from very relatable, to completely esoteric (many military and law enforcement related tales) and while I felt the narratives went well thematically... there was little in the way of "Soul." (I know, I know... non-fiction- but still.)
It was highly narrative, and self-referential. The narratives ranged from very relatable, to completely esoteric (many military and law enforcement related tales) and while I felt the narratives went well thematically... there was little in the way of "Soul." (I know, I know... non-fiction- but still.)
April 7, 2012
Good book, a lot of good ideas and principles on collaborating for greatness.
December 15, 2016
Lots of fascinating case histories, many of them drawn from the leadership-rich lives of the authors themselves.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews