Published Now New Book: Why Managers Don’t Collaborate - Revealing the Myths and Truths
Why Managers Don't Collaborate: Revealing the Myths and Truths is now available!
Our latest book is backed by our extensive research and describes what is actually happening in a wide variety of public and private sector organisations. Many managers have told us repeatedly that they follow the collaborative path and implemented programmes such as Vendor/Supplier/Customer Relationship Management, yet they complain that they are still fire-fighting. Taking a deeper look beneath the surface, we have found that this is collaboration in name only and reality they reach for the old play book and nothing has changed. So why is this we ask? Our book answers this question comprehensively.
Collaboration is not a slogan; it is a capability. It acknowledges why collaboration fails in the real world, short-termism, weak leadership, misplaced governance, and cultural blindness, and shows how organizations that confront these realities can unlock extraordinary value. Projects often succeed or fail not on contracts or technology, but on how leaders design relationships, empower people, and manage complexity across organizational boundaries.
A key aspect that we cover is the use of the candid views from over 1,000 senior managers in 200+ organizations within 6 industry sectors:
- UK Defense
- Outsourcing
- Information Technology
- Food and Beverage
- Retail Supply Chain
- Construction
We provide a comprehensive summary of the common relationship management features which affect performance in each of these sectors and explain the impact of the myths and the consequences on operations.
For executives, project leaders, and boards, this book is a call to action. Apply its lessons, and you move beyond transactional thinking toward resilient partnerships that deliver better outcomes for shareholders, clients, and the people doing the work. Ignore them, and the myths will continue to quietly erode performance. This is not a book about being idealistic. It is a book about being effective.
Ed Humphries, VP Minerals and Metals Global Capabilities, Atkins Realis, Montreal, Canada