Books Slideshow: How to Sell Your Teams on Collaboration Tools
By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 06-12-2012"We already have a collaborative tool: email."
Response: Email clutters in-boxes and is ignored. Tools like Wikis allow information to be more effectively shared and stored.
"This will destroy productivity."
Response: Workers waste one-quarter of their time searching for information they need, which can be avoided via these tools.
"What does this have to do with remaining competitive?"
Response: Everything. A lack of a vibrant, collaborative environment will turn off top tech talent recruits who prefer to work for cutting-edge companies.
"This will present a host of security issues."
Response: It can actually resolve security issues by establishing specific places to share information.
"What if the information shared is wrong?"
Response: It's easier to spot and correct mistakes in a collaborative environment, as opposed to private, scattered discussions.
"We cant risk bad behavior."
Response: Eliminate anonymity so that everyone is accountable for what they share.
"This will just sit there and collect dust."
Response: You must prove its value to users upfront, demonstrating how it can be integrated into their jobs.
"Weve had problems with people taking credit for the ideas of others."
Response: The transparent nature of modern collaborative platforms nips this problem in the bud.
"Yikes. It sounds like information overload."
Response: Not if it replaces a glut of emails and if platform filters ensure that teams only see information that's relevant to them.
