Professional service firms face a serious challenge. Their clients increasingly need them to solve complex problems—everything from regulatory compliance to cybersecurity, the kinds of problems that only teams of multidisciplinary experts can tackle. Yet most firms have carved up their highly specialized, professional experts into narrowly defined practice areas, and collaborating across these silos is often messy, risky, and expensive.

In Smart Collaboration, Heidi K. Gardner shows that firms earn higher margins, inspire greater client loyalty, attract and retain the best talent, and gain a competitive edge when specialists collaborate across functional boundaries. Gardner, a former McKinsey consultant and Harvard Business School professor now lecturing at Harvard Law School, has spent over a decade conducting in-depth studies of numerous global professional service firms. Her research demonstrates clearly and convincingly that collaboration pays, for both professionals and their firms. Smart Collaboration offers powerful prescriptions for how leaders can foster collaboration, move to higher-margin work, increase client satisfaction, and boost their bottom line.

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FEATURED PRODUCT

The Virtual Manager Collection (3 Books) + Tools

HBR Press Book

Remote work gives teams flexibility and options, but when you’re not face-to-face with colleagues, collaboration can be difficult. This specially priced three-volume set includes “Virtual Collaboration,” “Running Virtual Meetings,” and “Leading Virtual Teams” plus customizable tools and templates to apply the ideas presented in the books. Tips and strategies cover getting your technology up and running, building and maintaining relationships from afar, communicating well through a variety of media, running productive virtual meetings, setting and managing expectations, and more. This set has the practical advice, insights, and tools you need to be productive in a virtual world, whether you’re managing a team, a project, or just your own work.

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