The Complex Collaboration Report explores how organisations can effectively collaborate in an increasingly virtual and global workplace. The research synthesised insights from a 48-hour online collaboration jam alongside academic research and a masterclass led by Professor Lynda Gratton.

The Core Challenge

As technological advances connect people who would never have met before, collaboration becomes significantly more complex. When teams are geographically dispersed, virtual, diverse, and composed of highly educated specialists, the very qualities required for success become the same qualities that undermine it.

The research identified critical success factors for complex collaboration:

Building Trust in Virtual Settings: Trust doesn’t emerge organically in virtual teams. It must be actively cultivated through clear communication, reliability, and understanding culture differences.

Creating Collaborative Mindsets: Organisations need to hire for collaborative traits, provide appropriate training, and reward teamwork rather than individual achievement.

Measuring Collaboration: The report introduced frameworks like the Collaboration Index to systematically benchmark and improve collaborative effectiveness across organisations.