The art of collaborating

book coming soon

You can pre-order the book by writing an email to info@lankaconsulting.se.

The Art of Collaborating

Your Guide to Multi-stakeholder Collaboration

The ability to collaborate between organizations and fields of knowledge is an ever more important skill today, as we face urgent complex societal issues that call for wise and multidimensional solutions. Cross-disciplinary, cross-sector, and cross-organization encounters are needed, as they open up to new and exciting combinations and solutions.

But collaborating can be challenging—we need to break out of our silos, understand completely different logics and perspectives, and change familiar working methods. We need to radically step out of the “either-or” and enter the “both-and.”

Heading projects and processes in collaboration takes completely different skills, and we can’t rely on traditional project management theories. We especially need to develop the skill of being curious about others’ contexts, integrating fields of knowledge, mobilizing in a common direction, creating trust and good relationships, generating a shared sense of responsibility, and testing and learning together. This book provides hands-on tools and mindsets for working systematically with that.

The book is based on multidisciplinary theory, research, and our own experience of having worked with building up collaborative processes in Sweden and Northern Europe. It aims to contribute to better collaboration and co-creation on the urgent issues you face.

Our point of departure is that we are surrounded with resources all the time, often hidden by the boundaries of our silos. If we can learn to meet between, see and combine more of our actual resources—imagine what we could achieve! 

Said about the Swedish version of the book

  • Vanessa Ware, innovation leader, Ware Labs

    “By concretely describing the modus operandi of collaboration in complex settings, this book can be your game changer in getting a linear organization to work with processes tackling a messy and rapidly changing world."

  • Elin Dalman, sustainability strategist, Region Västmanland

    “Based on research and multifaceted experience, Anna Zingmark and Karoline Bottheim point the way to successful collaboration for us ‘boundary spanners,’ in their creatively insightful way.

    The book is a goldmine to have on your desk as inspiration, and to go back to again and again to stay at the top of your game when heading a collaboration. I particularly love the extremely accurate illustrations, which both make me smile and feel very relatable. The Art of Collaborating will make you a reliable, professional collaboration leader.”

  • Jacek Paszkowski, senior advisor at the Swedish Police Authority

    “I warmly recommend this book, whether you are already a seasoned veteran of joint ventures or just about to take your first steps into collaborating with others! It’s a goldmine for understanding the theory behind successful collaboration and how to tackle complex challenges, as well as for practical/concrete advice. I come most recently from the Secretariat for Cross-Agency Collaboration at the Swedish Police Authority’s National Operations Department. The authority has purchased this book for all of the 25+ people in the unit. It’s a must for anyone who wants to further develop the noble art of achieving more together with others.”

  • Caroline Strömbäck, unit manager, Church of Sweden

    “A very helpful book that alternates theory with practical examples and methods that can be put to use immediately. It helps you understand what happens when people and organizations meet and how we can act in practice to create conversations that benefit our processes going forward. The book has been a faithful companion for me in my leadership and my efforts to develop operations in collaboration with others.”

  • Anna Torsgården, project manager and sustainability strategist, Dalarna Science Park

    “Collaboration is complex, and even though I have worked with collaboration-related issues (in a variety of contexts) for several years, I often return to The Art of Collaboration when I encounter challenges in my work—which happens frequently. I particularly like the chapters on relationships and trust, and I use some of the tools here in pretty much all contexts I work in (meetings, workshops, etc.). The tools help participants to connect, and I feel that they strengthen relationships and trust among the participants—which is incredibly important in collaboration!”

LÄNKA

PUBLISHING.