Ramblin' Cowboy

Where could collaborative learning fit in my organization?

We've been using collaborative learning at SCE for a hundred years. It happens every day, from safety tailgate meetings in the mornings to brainstorming sessions in the afternoon, to work crews getting the power back on in the middle of the night. We work in a team-oriented environment. Keeping the lights on is not a one-person job.

But what of the future? Where do we go from here? I would like to see the new tools and processes increase our collaboration. I would like to see a wiki-like environment where everyone's ideas are listened to and no one has a lock on improving the status quo.

What are the primary barriers?

One of the barriers to expanded collaboration is our traditional command-and-control culture. We have specific rules and procedures, which we follow to prevent tragic accidents. But those same safeguards can become straight jackets, preventing us from trying out new ideas. Approval processes can become drawn out, and decision-making can bog down.

What are the possibilities?

The new technologies hold great promise. Blackberries, which were looked at suspiciously a few years ago, are now an accepted feature in the landscape. Lotus Sametime meetings can be set up in seconds. Doc libraries make it easy for teams to share documents.