Q&A: Kevin Borley, Bloor

Define collaboration in just three words

Value by sharing.

How important is effective communication to modern business success?

Essential especially in a world that is evolving with few boundaries and different cultures.

What are the key benefits of having the right collaboration and communication strategy in place and acting upon it?

Critical, but don't underestimate the cultural issues to be tackled.

What are companies currently doing well when it comes to collaboration and communication?

Those that are engaged in this issue spend time making sure there's a need and benefit then ensuring it delivers output that can be used.

Conversely, what could they be doing better/more of/less of? And why?

Badly thought through programmes or rushed implementation deliver yet another source of noise...

Who in the organisation should be taking the lead when it comes to choosing the right tools and implementing them successfully?

Those that need to make it work. It can't be a solution looking for a use.

Who else in the organisation is critical to success here?

The HR team and board from a cultural perspective. This is no small commitment and will take a lot of organisational time to get right.

How do you ensure you're collaborating and communicating effectively? Do you have any words from the wise or anecdotes from other real-world experience you can share?

The measure of value is in the value other get from the pool of information or contribution from their colleagues that is sourced from such applications. Don't try to boil the ocean. Start small and focussed. Deliver value on a high profile project or area then as needed roll out. It may not be of use everywhere in an organisation.

Where do you see the market and adoption of communication and collaboration tools headed?

Applications will be merged into ERP or desktop suites.

What will successful corporate collaboration and communication looks like five or 10 years from now?

Mail and messaging, in some organisations alongside more formal knowledge management apps will morph into tools alongside document management.

Why should people attend this event?

This area is in an early phase of disruption and the shape of the functionality is still evolving. If you have an interest it's a good time to engage in the discussion. The next period of development for collaborative tools will determine whether they become essential tools for the sharing organisation' or a further source of noise.

Attend our exclusive event on 8th July to hear more from Peter and others who know their stuff when it comes to communication and collaboration. Click here for more information. We have extended our early bird discount by a week so sign up soon so you don't miss out.