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Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos
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Pasta dura, 272 pages
Published
January 3rd 2017
by Harvard Business Review Press
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Start your review of Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos

"Collaboration helps firms grow their profits". The book has been written with private sector in mind as Heidi begins by sating that "firms have carved themselves up into silos". However, what the author goes on to convey makes a lot of sense for those working in the government where most of the Departments work in silos and are in dire need of collaboration. The logic is fairly simple : " There are limits to the depth of knowledge and skill that can be achieved by anyone except an occasional Re
...more

If I was a professionals services client server (lawyer, accountant, consultant, etc), I would rate this book 4-4.5 stars. I am not, but went into the read knowingly. The three stars are truly because of the specifics of the audience, not the content, which might be unfair. It gave me perspective into the life of a client server in a business environment and the importance of collaborating creatively and embracing collaboration as a true and effective business strategy - not just to propel your
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The book might well serve as a handbook for managers and partners of any forward thinking professional services firm: legal, accounting, audit, financial, consulting. It offers numerous ideas how to improve client service and actually advance profits through various modes of collaboration within the firm. Simply put, it argues that nowadays no professional can become (or remain) successful if it remains within its own narrow field (aka silo). Instead, professionals must learn to overcome their b
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This title of this book should have made the narrow focus a bit more clear: this is not a book about general employee collaboration, but it's rather specifically about professional services firms. This is about getting lawyers and accountants and consultants to play nice with each other.
Some good ideas in here, specifically about the different types of contributors. The book approaches the topic from more of a governance and social engineering standpoint. How do you overcome deeply-embedded natu ...more
Some good ideas in here, specifically about the different types of contributors. The book approaches the topic from more of a governance and social engineering standpoint. How do you overcome deeply-embedded natu ...more

Took me a year and a half to finish it... But if you're working in a professional service firm then it's a must-read! After reading this book I have a bunch of notes, remarks and ideas what to bring to my everyday life at the office. Inspirational would be the adjective to describe this blend of theory and practical cases and interviews.
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to be reviewed in the March/April issue of Global Business and Organizational Excellence.

In a world where collaboration is ever-important, especially within business, it can be confusing or concerning to note that many professional firms are stuck in a silo-based mentality and can struggle to cooperate with peers, rivals and other firms for the benefit of their client. Any cooperative attempts may be sub-optimal, even if the firms believe they are really cooperating.
This book takes an interesting and focussed look at this collaboration problem and advocates the adoption of a manner ...more
This book takes an interesting and focussed look at this collaboration problem and advocates the adoption of a manner ...more

Initially, I thought this book will be boring to read as it is research heavy. I thought wrong.
Not only was it informative but Heidi took the time to provide practical steps to foster smart collaboration.
I learned a lot of business terms and strategies one can implement as either a business owner or a partner/associate in a professional service firm.
One particular term I had never heard of was VUCA - Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. You learn everyday.
Heidi provides in depth research ...more
Not only was it informative but Heidi took the time to provide practical steps to foster smart collaboration.
I learned a lot of business terms and strategies one can implement as either a business owner or a partner/associate in a professional service firm.
One particular term I had never heard of was VUCA - Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. You learn everyday.
Heidi provides in depth research ...more

Recensione
Review
In Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos, Heidi K. Gardner mostra come negli ultimi anni le aziende di consulenza tendano a proporre esperti “verticali” per risolvere i problemi dei clienti, ma questa tendenza è poco conveniente per le aziende stesse.
Confrontando diversi modi di lavorare (esperto vs collaborazione smart di più consulenti) l’autrice mostra come la collaborazione possa portare maggiori profitti e clienti più soddisf ...more
Review
In Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos, Heidi K. Gardner mostra come negli ultimi anni le aziende di consulenza tendano a proporre esperti “verticali” per risolvere i problemi dei clienti, ma questa tendenza è poco conveniente per le aziende stesse.
Confrontando diversi modi di lavorare (esperto vs collaborazione smart di più consulenti) l’autrice mostra come la collaborazione possa portare maggiori profitti e clienti più soddisf ...more

Smart Collaboration by Heidi K. Gardner
A very good book on breaking down silos in business. The book spends quite a bit of time on how smart collaboration can improve the bottom line of both the consulting and client firms. There is also a sufficient number of examples to show how smart collaboration can solve problems in the workplace. The emphasis here is on “smart” collaboration. Do not force collaboration for the sake of collaboration but structure collaboration that makes sense for the clie ...more
A very good book on breaking down silos in business. The book spends quite a bit of time on how smart collaboration can improve the bottom line of both the consulting and client firms. There is also a sufficient number of examples to show how smart collaboration can solve problems in the workplace. The emphasis here is on “smart” collaboration. Do not force collaboration for the sake of collaboration but structure collaboration that makes sense for the clie ...more
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