Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work

Market volatility. Sustainability demands. Hybrid working. Opportunities and hazards of fast-changing technology and regulations. Companies and nonprofits face more daunting challenges than ever. How can we collaborate in our organizations--and with outside partners--to solve problems, innovate, and succeed? This indispensable new book lays out a pragmatic action plan blending rich stories, new empirical research, and loads of practical advice to help companies thrive by collaborating more effectively. As Heidi K. Gardner and Ivan A. Matviak show, firms that collaborate smarter consistently generate higher revenues and profits, boost innovation, strengthen client relationships, and attract and retain better talent. In this successor to Gardner's bestselling first book, Smart Collaboration, the authors expand their mandate, illustrating the fundamental dynamics of collaborating well across industries like financial services, health care, biotech/pharma, consumer products, automotive, and technology. Based on their research with thousands of executives from around the world, they share deep insights on how to implement smarter collaboration and avoid the potential pitfalls. They also help leaders troubleshoot thorny challenges like misaligned incentives, collaboration overload, and unintended consequences on diversity and inclusion.

About the Author :
Ivan A. Matviak is a senior executive in the global financial services and fintech sectors. Formerly chair of multiple software companies, adviser to private equity firms, and Bain consultant, Matviak is a cofounder of Smart Collaboration International. Heidi K. Gardner is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and a former professor at Harvard Business School. Previously a McKinsey consultant and Fulbright Fellow, she is the author of Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos, a Washington Post bestseller. She was named by Thinkers50 as a Next Generation Business Guru and is cofounder of both the research and advisory firm Gardner & Co and Smart Collaboration International. Melissa Redmond started her love affair with books when she was three. Her first introduction to audiobooks came at about the same time, when her dad, a Navy pilot, would read bedtime stories onto tapes and send them home while he was away on deployment. He did all the voices. Eventually, her love of the written word turned into a love of performance in various mediums. She graduated from the University of California San Diego with a degree in theater and has been working in theater, film, and voice-over ever since. Her voice has been described as "A little smirk, a little sparkle . . . and just the right amount of smartass." She's interested in a wide array of genres, with special affection for thriller, nonfiction, romantic comedy, and YA fantasy. When she isn't acting, she can be found hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area hills, dancing, and rescuing and rehabilitating injured marine mammals.