Leading Across Boundaries: Creating Collaborative Agencies in a Networked World

Co-Location: A Structural Approach to Increase Collaboration

This chapter is about the potential for people to connect at a more authentic level by co-locating employees from different organizations, that is, putting them in the same space. Many agencies are using the co-location model to increase information sharing and trust, to generate creative ideas, and to improve service to customers and clients. What can we learn from organizations that co-locate and share resources and information, even staff? What are the different kinds of co-location approaches, and what are some of the challenges involved in making it work? We’ll look at three co-location examples—involving arts organizations in Buffalo, New York, a Child Advocacy Center, and ...