Co-lab roles.
Everyone has a role to play when it comes to collaborative innovation, but for it to succeed, individuals need to know where they fit in a team.
EXPLORER.
You’re the dreamer, the creator. Being the observant type, you’re able to easily identify unmet needs, and you express frustration with anything that doesn’t work as it should.
You get great satisfaction from the creative process, but are less interested in the final application of ideas. You benefit from others around you appreciating your work and helping you choose and action your best ideas.
You learn best by doing, and you’re motivated by any opportunity to stand out and be different.
TAKE THE CO-LAB TEST
- Being creative and inquisitive
- Original thinking
- Spotting insights
- Testing different concepts
- Communicating enthusiastically
- Working alone or in a team
- Can be prone to over-excitement
and a lack of focus
How social collaboration can help an Explorer.
Generating ideas collaboratively
Brainstorming, ideation, innovating – whatever the term, creating ideas is a global currency bankable in any business. Social collaboration can help Explorers foster ideas in a directed and positive way. No treading water or lack of decision-making. Social collaboration means real action.
Getting buy-in for projects and products
Getting an audience to sit up and listen can be the biggest challenge for any project. Social collaboration can help an Explorer get everyone to take note of your message and project goals, by communicating in a concise and attention-grabbing social format.
Collaborating with external customers, partners and vendors
Social collaboration works both inside your business and outside; helping Explorers work on projects large or small with external partners and customers using slick and organised workflows.
INFLUENCER.
You like to build on other people’s ideas by telling engaging stories, happily and effectively representing a team’s viewpoint to the outside world.
You’re good at spotting connections and weaving narratives that audiences want to hear, and you are motivated by converting people to your point of view and telling engaging stories.
You’re naturally well-connected and have a large social circle and many business connections; among these contacts you hold a reputation as an expert in your field, sought out for your opinions.
You’re concept-driven, highly adept at simplifying complicated arguments into clear propositions. You’re at your best working autonomously, although you need the back-up of a well-functioning team.
You learn best on the job and are always open to new ideas, eager to absorb new information.
TAKE THE CO-LAB TEST
-Encouraging others to open up
-Understanding what’s important to others
-Communicating persuasively
- Tendency to exaggerate details or dominate
How social collaboration can help an Influencer.
Engaging employees
With two-thirds of all internet users connected to social networking platforms, the expectations of employees, specifically Influencers like you, have changed dramatically. Boring intranets and stale collaborative tools only create unproductive noise and are often ignored by employees. In this new social world, employees want immediacy and usability.
Driving new revenue opportunities with customers
The internal side of social collaboration might be where money can be saved, but the external side is where money can be made. Opportunities for generating new business abound for the Influencer, regardless of whether you operate in a B2B or B2C environment.
Encouraging stakeholder buy-in for projects and products
Getting an audience to sit up and listen can be the biggest challenge for any project. Social collaboration can help an Influencer get everyone to take note of your message and project goals, by communicating in a concise and attention-grabbing social format.
PRODUCER.
Resourceful and knowledgeable, you enjoy taking responsibility for the quality of your team’s contributions and output.
You are happiest working in a group and enjoy inventing new processes and measuring progress.
You help facilitate teams by establishing and agreeing on rules of operation and cultural norms, and this helps get results.
Having time to think and reflect is the best way for you to learn, while you are motivated by putting teams together and arranging capabilities and resources into effective combinations.
TAKE THE CO-LAB TEST
- Understanding everyone’s diverse motivations
- Navigating challenges
- Communicating with sensitivity
- Shows more interest in the process than results.
How social collaboration can help a Producer.
Generating ideas collaboratively
Brainstorming, ideation, innovating – whatever the term, creating ideas is a global currency bankable in any business. Social collaboration can help Producers foster ideas in a directed and positive way. No treading water or lack of decision-making, social collaboration means real action.
Democratising business
Social collaboration flattens company hierarchies, helping those lower down the ranks come up with ideas on a level playing field. For the Producer, social technologies can help smooth out complex approval processes, and make projects easier to manage.
Finding hidden knowledge
There’s a wealth of information hidden within your organisation. As a Producer, social collaboration can help you ensure the right data is within reach of those who need it, and make sure your people aren’t missing out on opportunities to excel.
CULTIVATOR.
You’re a naturally helpful person who often helps develop and nurture the ideas of others.
As a Cultivator, you’re well-liked, often confided in, and act as a trusted friend. You demonstrate great sympathy for colleagues and empathize with customers.
There is a practical side to you that gains real satisfaction from not only finishing projects but also making sure they are developed to the highest quality.
You retain sight of the original project objectives but also spot opportunities for improvements.
You are motivated by being part of a broader community, but are more comfortable working in pairs or small groups. You learn best by making emotional connections with others, and are motivated by a sense of purpose and making things the best they can possibly be.
A persuader and a presenter, you have imagination and drive.
TAKE THE CO-LAB TEST
-Empathy
-Intuition
-Inspiring others
-Maximising quality
Can blend into the background and lack confidence
How social collaboration can help a Cultivator.
Engaging employees
With two-thirds of all internet users connected to social networking platforms, the expectations of employees, specifically Cultivators like you, have changed dramatically. Boring intranets and stale collaborative tools only create unproductive noise and are often ignored by employees. In this new social world, employees want immediacy and usability.
Collaborating with external customers, partners and vendors
Social collaboration works inside your business and outside your business: helping Cultivators work on projects large or small with external partners and customers using organised and professional workflows.
CONNECTOR.
Being an outgoing and sociable person, you’re often the glue that binds people together into a team.
You bring a matchmaking ability that can spot existing connections between people and suggest new ones – this means you are valued by others and happy working in a group.
You much prefer working in an office than from home, although you will readily make use of social media to foster a large network.
With interests in diverse areas, you find it easy to think laterally, combining ideas to come up with something new. You learn best by making an emotional connection with others, but you’re also motivated by the idea of mastering a new skill.
TAKE THE CO-LAB TEST
-Spotting similarities or differences
-Brokering new opportunities
-Being interested in others
-Can be distracted and unaccountable
How social collaboration can help a Connector.
Fostering innovation between diverse departments and divisions
Companies with teams and departments spread out across multiple geographical locations find it tough to work together. Social collaboration adds the vital elements of real-time communication and the ability to gain definitive results – crucial for Connectors.
Engaging employees
With two-thirds of all internet users connected to social networking platforms, the expectations of employees, specifically Connectors like you, have changed dramatically. Boring intranets and stale collaborative tools only create unproductive noise and are often ignored by employees. In this new social world, employees want immediacy and usability.
Generating ideas collaboratively
Brainstorming, ideation, innovating – whatever the term, creating ideas is a global currency bankable in any business. Social collaboration can help Connectors foster ideas in a directed and positive way. No treading water or lack of decision-making, social collaboration means real action.
ACTIVATOR.
Practical, action-orientated and energetic, you take responsibility for getting stuff done.
You’re essential to the process of turning good ideas into working innovations – being a great list-writer and day-planner you derive great satisfaction from completing tasks.
You are happiest working in a group, and will gravitate towards project management roles. Consequently, you are good at bringing others along due to your enthusiasm, drive and sense of purpose.
You’ll often lead by example, preferring to demonstrate what you’ve achieved as opposed to having meetings about what to do.
You learn best by doing, and are motivated by a sense of purpose.
TAKE THE CO-LAB TEST
-Leading by example
-Mobilising others
-Communicating with authority
-Can stifle innovation by jumping into solution mode too quickly
How social collaboration can help an Activator.
Democratising business
Social collaboration flattens company hierarchies, helping those lower down the ranks come up with ideas on a level playing field. For the Activator, social technologies can help smooth out complex approval processes, and make projects easier to manage.
Driving new revenue opportunities with customers
The internal side of social collaboration might be where money can be saved, but the external side is where money can be made. Business development opportunities abound for Activators.
