Outside the box: Could I collaborate better?

Q: Can I collaborate better to share, explore and find out what others already know?

A: Information is everywhere – if you know where to get it. We live in a data- and knowledge-rich society. However, too often it comes at a high cost. It’s a catch 22 situation; you pay to gain information and you pay even more if you lack it.

This is why we need to take sharing and collaboration to a new level. We all do it to some extent, some better and more effectively than others, but it’s often a poorly defined skill that is taken for granted and, consequently, underrated. We should recognise collaboration for the valuable asset it is, take time to assess and identify how we use it and who we need to talk to and set ourselves clear objectives.

Who has the information we need? Who is already doing what we want to do and knows how to do it well? How widely do we cast our nets (do we talk to people outside our organisation, or outside our sector, or outside our region?)? Who do we know and what do we have to offer in return – after all, collaboration is a two-way process? If our research draws a blank, could we start a group or a forum to share thoughts, concerns and experiences?

No one gains from reinventing internal audit wheels. Working smarter means using our communication skills and our ability to learn from each other. It’s an age-old human skill, but we tend to take it for granted. So dust it down, sharpen your focus and get in touch. 

This article was published in May 2021.