Reducing time to market with open collaboration

About Client

The Microsoft Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) is committed to accountability for diversity and inclusion progress across Microsoft.

Project Details

Year: 2021

Location: Virtual Delivery to Europe

Audience: Corporate Legal Teams, Europe

Software Development, Technology

The Ask

Microsoft is one of the most recognizable names in computing, globally. I was asked to help the Microsoft Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs team with collaboration and trust for a leadership development day.

My Contribution

I ran an interactive dialogue session on Leveraging Open Collaboration to Fuel Sustainable Growth, focusing on the idea that “we” is better than “me” and how to balance teams with contribution archetypes. Topics covered include how to empower psychological safety, open behaviors, and how each individual offers a unique contribution value. Participants commented how implementing the ideas could help reduce resistance to cross-collaborative efforts and decrease time to market.

Cross-collaboration &
open culture

team participants in dialogue session

questions raised

clear call-to-actions identified by participants

condsideration of value by balancing contribution tendencies by team

Una O'Sullivan

Microsoft, CELA

Thanks for a very engaging session on collaboration. Some nice tips in there. Clearly the team leaned in and enjoyed the exchanges.

I go into my weekend thinking of shiny unicorns on islands surrounded by sharks in addition to hunters, farmers and minefields !

Clare Dillon

Event Organizer

Thanks a million for that Jen – it was great. What a great discussion – we could have gone on with that even longer… it’s such a great topic.