Table of Contents

• 1: Introduction to Collaboration
  Examines what collaboration means, its definition, some benefits from collaboration, and how this book explores the subject. We also define “sustainable collaboration” and start to explain Stewart’s Law of Agreement. David then starts to set the context for an in-depth examination of collaboration technologies through a section called “The Technologies of Trust.”
  
• 2: Trends in Collaboration
  A look at 10 different trends in collaboration, some of which are driving the move to collaboration 2.0. These 10 trends give the reader a more in-depth context for both the technologies and the market for them. In chapter 3 we examine the overall evolution of electronic collaboration starting with the social or genetic imperative for humans to be part of the “virtual herd.”
  
• 3: The Evolution of Electronic Collaboration
  The overall evolution of electronic collaboration starting with the social or genetic imperative for humans to be part of the “virtual herd.”
  
• 4: Collaboration 1.0
  Collaboration 1.0, or working face-to-face with a focus on content rather than the interaction between people. Some of the characteristics of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) are also explored.
  
• 5: Collaboration 2.0
  How the collaboration environment has changed today, and examine some of the characteristics of Web 2.0.
  
• 6: Collaboration 2.5
  Web 3.0 promises to be the semantic web populated with intelligent agents. Yet many still have trouble just coordinating our calendars, indicating that Web 3.0 is a few years off. A number of new technologies that are shifting the experience of collaboration from the familiar 2D environments to virtual worlds where online collaboration appears to take place in 3D. Since these realms are not yet part of the semantic web, but more advanced than the 2D web, the only logical moniker would be: Collaboration 2.5.
  
• 7: Virtual Team Challenges
  Focused on people and process and examines some of the challenges virtual teams have to deal with. We look at the 7 types of virtual teams, some of the background and history of distributed teams, and then examine why these teams fail. The chapter ends with a section about online communities and some best practices based on experiences working with these type of communities
  
• 8: Critical Aspects of Human Communication
  An overview of some of the fundamental components of interpersonal communication and some of the challenges they bring up.
  
• 9: The Interpersonal Communication Toolbox
  We move onto the critical tools and level of awareness essential to building an effective communication toolbox that can be used within any technology pathway.
  
• 10: Developing "Resolutionary" Thinking
  Introduces “Resolutionary Thinking” as a critical mindset that contributes to effective and sustainable collaboration, coordination and cooperation.
  
• 11: Creating Teams: Virtual and Real World
  This is a reminder of the essential steps for forming teams and the stages they go through, weather co-located or virtual. It also shares a story of the value of a great team.
  
• 12: The Law and Principles of Agreement
  Fundamental truths about collaboration framed as the “Laws and Principles of Agreement.”
  
• 13: Creating Agreements for Results
  Creating shared vision and a pathway to desired results embodied in “Agreements for Results.” It introduces the 10 Essential Elements of these agreements, and explains how critical it is to spend the time at the beginning of projects getting clear about desired results, pathway to them, promises of who will do what, metrics and concerns or fears about moving forward.
  
• 14: Productivity and the Cycle of Resolution
  Introduces the steps of “The Cycle of Resolution” which provides an efficient, effective conversational model that will get you back on track when conflicts develop.
  
• 15: Collaborative Evolution in the Enterprise
  Provides the key ingredients and steps for implementing collaborative technology as part of your organizational operating system which serves as an example of how to apply the technologies and interpersonal techniques that were discussed earlier in the book.
  
• 16: Summary and Conclusions
  The final chapter in the book, is an effective summary, our conclusions and a peek into the future.
  

You Should Read This Book If you use any type of collaboration technology from IM/Chat to a virtual team space. The book is most beneficial for teams, groups, departments, cross-organizational teams and distributed organizations that are looking at some of the Web 2.0 technologies focused on communication, collaboration and interaction.

The Authors' Goals are to help you grasp the full array of tools available. This is to allow for effective choices tp be made based on the best vehicles for the context, capacity, physical organization, desired outcomes and purposes of the collaboration. We want our readers to develop competence and capacity as conscious communicators and collaborative process designers.