<commit_before>---
title: "Talking Collaboration with Joshua"
summary: "We talk to Joshua about transparency, the challenges of running a co-working space, and leadership dynamics in decentralized organizations."
date: 2015-01-21
authors: [jenn]
readfullarticle: talking-collaboration-with-joshua
---

# Talking Collaboration with Joshua

<img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_2.jpg" class="center-element" alt="Enspiral">

<em>This post is part of an ongoing series about collaboration in the workplace. We talk to individuals about their challenges, successes, and advice on how to collaborate more effectively.</em>

Joshua is an entrepreneur and founder of [Enspiral](http://wwww.enspiral.com/), a global network of socially-minded individuals and enterprises. He is also the co-founder of Enspiral Craftworks, Enspiral Dev Academy, and a board member of Enspiral Foundation.

We talk to Joshua about transparency, the challenges of running a co-working space, and leadership dynamics in decentralized organizations.

<hr>
<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Tell us about Enspiral and what you do there.</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Enspiral is a collective of companies and individuals helping more people work on stuff that matters. There are 15 or so ventures in the network with a 50/50 split between professional services and building products. A big focus is on network based, decentralized organizing and using the tools of business to make the world a better place.</p>

<p>I work with two of our ventures [Enspiral Dev Academy](http://devacademy.co.nz/) (programmer bootcamp) and Enspiral Craftworks (contracting team) as well as helping out with the Foundation board and our Open App project (an open source suite of apps focused on decentralized organizing).</p>
</div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">How does collaboration fit into your daily work?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Collaboration is the heart of Enspiral and the majority of my work is collaborative. There is a daily standup at Dev Academy and a virtual daily standup on Slack for Craftworks. I pair on a lot of my work and when not pairing there is usually a review process where someone else will run through things and provide feedback. Dev Academy hold weekly retrospectives and Open App hold monthly checkins on Loomio. Dev Academy hold feedback sessions every month or two (PIE, praise, improve, enjoy) and most teams hold a retreat every six months when we also have our full network retreats.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Which tools does Enspiral use to collaborate?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>We use [Loomio](http://loomio.org) for decision making, [Cobudget](http://cobudget.co) for budgeting and [Slack](https://slack.com/) for chat. Google Apps, Trello and Doodle are all pretty key and we're currently trialling [Hylo](http://hylo.com) to replace our Google Plus community which doesn't really work for us.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_5.jpg" class="center-element" alt="Enspiral">

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Have you seen a collaboration recently that inspired you?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Every day. Today at dev academy we had a team conversation about our new remuneration process where everyone sets their own salary which is shared transparently throughout the company. All salary requests are approved by default and if anyone has an issue with how much someone pays themselves then it is resolved through our conflict resolution process. We were also inspired by <a href="http://bufferapp.com/">Buffer</a>'s work with transparency and are thinking about how to make our company more transparent.</p>
</div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Can you tell us about a recent successful collaboration at Enspiral?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Last year the Loomio team had to cut back on the number of people they were employing which would normally be a really painful decision for a company with dramatic impacts on the individuals involved. Because the strength of the connections in the network Enspiral Craftworks was able to find roles for all the people involved so even though they are separate companies it looked more like an internal transfer than a mass redundancy.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Where have you seen collaboration break down, and what lessons were learned?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>We've had a co-working space for the past few years and it has always been a challenge to manage. Essentially lots of people want a place to work but no one really wants to run a co-working business so the people who hold everything together often do so out of obligation and responsibility rather than doing the work which most brings them alive. The big lesson for me is that when there is work that needs doing which people aren't naturally drawn towards you need to resource it really well.</p>

<p>I've found that when you remove structure from a hierarchy you don't get collaboration, you get informal hierarchy. To build true decentralisation takes good processes and conscious effort from everyone in the organization.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_3.jpg" class="center-element" alt="Enspiral">

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<div><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg"><div class="overflow-hidden"><p class="lubalin-bold text--large">What are some interesting differences you've come across between centralized and decentralized or collaborative organizations?</p></div></div>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>I think the enquiry into leadership in both centralized and decentralized organizations is fascinating. Often what people think of as centralized leadership is just bad leadership and when it is done well there are similarities in both environments. Good leaders will always serve the people they lead and will always empower people to have a lot of autonomy.</p>

<p>Interesting things emerge when you take away coercive power and add in radical transparency. When everything leaders do is visible across the organization and they have only influence and no authority then some tangible differences manifests in the culture. I think the real magic happens when people realize that they have true power in the organization and their voices have weight.</p>

<p>I also think there is a powerful dynamic which emerges when you encourage rotating leadership and I have found the mantra of "no one should lead all the time and everyone should lead some of the time" really helpful. There is pretty compelling research on what power and privilege do to our individual psychologies and I've personally found it very liberating to be able to put down the burden of leadership and rejoice in being part of a network of peers.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Which methodologies or practices from collaborative organizations do you feel are the most important?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>I believe a collaborative organization is only possible when people have true power in an organization and put aside their professional masks and bring all of themselves to work. When that happens a deeply held sense of trust and love emerges in the community creating a very low friction environment for collaborating which is an incredible competitive advantage. My sense is that a lot of organizations waste inordinate amounts of energy on internal politics, bureaucracy and power plays which completely disappears in a collaborative organization.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">What advice would you give to someone who wants to collaborate more effectively?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Focus on decentralizing money, information and control throughout your organization, when you find a nexus of centralisation apply gentle pressure until it slowly releases.</p>

<p>Nurture a generous community by approaching every interaction asking what you can give, not what will you get.</p>

<p>Use deals not as a means to an end but as an ingredient in growing relationships in the organization. Deals come and go but great relationships will last a lifetime.</p>

<p>Realise that culture is everything. If you lost all of your money and assets but still had your culture you could build everything again. If you lose your culture you will destroy anything you have created.</p>

<p>The things you own end up owning you. Personal power and privilege can be addictive but they will mess with your psychology and diminish your potential. There is true freedom and joy to be found in helping other people to step up leaving you to revel in a loving network of peers.</p>
</div><commit_msg>Add click to Tweet links<commit_after>---
title: "Talking Collaboration with Joshua"
summary: "We talk to Joshua about transparency, the challenges of running a co-working space, and leadership dynamics in decentralized organizations."
date: 2015-01-21
authors: [jenn]
readfullarticle: talking-collaboration-with-joshua
---

# Talking Collaboration with Joshua

<img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_2.jpg" class="center-element" alt="Enspiral">

<em>This post is part of an ongoing series about collaboration in the workplace. We talk to individuals about their challenges, successes, and advice on how to collaborate more effectively.</em>

Joshua is an entrepreneur and founder of [Enspiral](http://wwww.enspiral.com/), a global network of socially-minded individuals and enterprises. He is also the co-founder of Enspiral Craftworks, Enspiral Dev Academy, and a board member of Enspiral Foundation.

We talk to Joshua about transparency, the challenges of running a co-working space, and leadership dynamics in decentralized organizations.

<hr>
<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Tell us about Enspiral and what you do there.</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Enspiral is a collective of companies and individuals helping more people work on stuff that matters. There are 15 or so ventures in the network with a 50/50 split between professional services and building products. A big focus is on network based, decentralized organizing and using the tools of business to make the world a better place.</p>

<p>I work with two of our ventures [Enspiral Dev Academy](http://devacademy.co.nz/) (programmer bootcamp) and Enspiral Craftworks (contracting team) as well as helping out with the Foundation board and our Open App project (an open source suite of apps focused on decentralized organizing).</p>
</div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">How does collaboration fit into your daily work?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Collaboration is the heart of Enspiral and the majority of my work is collaborative. There is a daily standup at Dev Academy and a virtual daily standup on Slack for Craftworks. I pair on a lot of my work and when not pairing there is usually a review process where someone else will run through things and provide feedback. Dev Academy hold weekly retrospectives and Open App hold monthly checkins on Loomio. Dev Academy hold feedback sessions every month or two (PIE, praise, improve, enjoy) and most teams hold a retreat every six months when we also have our full network retreats.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Which tools does Enspiral use to collaborate?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>We use [Loomio](http://loomio.org) for decision making, [Cobudget](http://cobudget.co) for budgeting and [Slack](https://slack.com/) for chat. Google Apps, Trello and Doodle are all pretty key and we're currently trialling [Hylo](http://hylo.com) to replace our Google Plus community which doesn't really work for us.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_5.jpg" class="center-element" alt="Enspiral">

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Have you seen a collaboration recently that inspired you?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Every day. Today at dev academy we had a team conversation about our new remuneration process where <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?via=colabcoop&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1BrN9cY&text=Everyone%20sets%20their%20own%20salary%20which%20is%20shared%20transparently%20throughout%20the%20company.">everyone sets their own salary which is shared transparently throughout the company</a>. All salary requests are approved by default and if anyone has an issue with how much someone pays themselves then it is resolved through our conflict resolution process. We were also inspired by <a href="http://bufferapp.com/">Buffer</a>'s work with transparency and are thinking about how to make our company more transparent.</p>
</div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Can you tell us about a recent successful collaboration at Enspiral?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Last year the Loomio team had to cut back on the number of people they were employing which would normally be a really painful decision for a company with dramatic impacts on the individuals involved. Because the strength of the connections in the network Enspiral Craftworks was able to find roles for all the people involved so even though they are separate companies it looked more like an internal transfer than a mass redundancy.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Where have you seen collaboration break down, and what lessons were learned?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>We've had a co-working space for the past few years and it has always been a challenge to manage. Essentially lots of people want a place to work but no one really wants to run a co-working business so the people who hold everything together often do so out of obligation and responsibility rather than doing the work which most brings them alive. The big lesson for me is that when there is work that needs doing which people aren't naturally drawn towards you need to resource it really well.</p>

<p>I've found that when you remove structure from a hierarchy you don't get collaboration, you get informal hierarchy. <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?via=colabcoop&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1BrN9cY&text=To%20build%20true%20decentralization%20takes%20good%20processes%20and%20conscious%20effort.">To build true decentralization takes good processes and conscious effort</a> from everyone in the organization.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_3.jpg" class="center-element" alt="Enspiral">

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<div><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg"><div class="overflow-hidden"><p class="lubalin-bold text--large">What are some interesting differences you've come across between centralized and decentralized or collaborative organizations?</p></div></div>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>I think the enquiry into leadership in both centralized and decentralized organizations is fascinating. Often what people think of as centralized leadership is just bad leadership and when it is done well there are similarities in both environments. <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?via=colabcoop&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1BrN9cY&text=Good%20leaders%20will%20always%20serve%20the%20people%20they%20lead.">Good leaders will always serve the people they lead</a> and will always empower people to have a lot of autonomy.</p>

<p>Interesting things emerge when you take away coercive power and add in radical transparency. When everything leaders do is visible across the organization and they have only influence and no authority then some tangible differences manifests in the culture. I think the <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?via=colabcoop&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1BrN9cY&text=Real%20magic%20happens%20when%20people%20realize%20that%20they%20have%20true%20power%20in%20the%20organization.">real magic happens when people realize that they have true power in the organization</a> and their voices have weight.</p>

<p>I also think there is a powerful dynamic which emerges when you encourage rotating leadership and I have found the mantra of "no one should lead all the time and everyone should lead some of the time" really helpful. There is pretty compelling research on what power and privilege do to our individual psychologies and I've personally found it very liberating to be able to put down the burden of leadership and rejoice in being part of a network of peers.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">Which methodologies or practices from collaborative organizations do you feel are the most important?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>I believe a collaborative organization is only possible when people have true power in an organization and put aside their professional masks and bring all of themselves to work. When that happens a deeply held sense of trust and love emerges in the community creating a very low friction environment for collaborating which is an incredible competitive advantage. My sense is that <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?via=colabcoop&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1BrN9cY&text=A%20lot%20of%20organizations%20waste%20inordinate%20amounts%20of%20energy.">a lot of organizations waste inordinate amounts of energy</a> on internal politics, bureaucracy and power plays which completely disappears in a collaborative organization.</p>
</div>

<div class="spacing--mid-x"></div>

<p class="lubalin-bold text--large"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2014-12-27_3.png" class="float-left margin-right-base-lg">What advice would you give to someone who wants to collaborate more effectively?</p>

<div class="float-left margin-right-base-lg margin-top-base"><img src="/assets/img/blog/2015-01-21_1.jpg"></div>
<div class="overflow-hidden">
<p>Focus on decentralizing money, information and control throughout your organization, when you find a nexus of centralisation apply gentle pressure until it slowly releases.</p>

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?via=colabcoop&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1BrN9cY&text=Nurture%20a%20generous%20community%20by%20approaching%20every%20interaction%20asking%20what%20you%20can%20give.">Nurture a generous community by approaching every interaction asking what you can give</a>, not what will you get.</p>

<p>Use deals not as a means to an end but as an ingredient in growing relationships in the organization. Deals come and go but great relationships will last a lifetime.</p>

<p>Realise that culture is everything. If you lost all of your money and assets but still had your culture you could build everything again. If you lose your culture you will destroy anything you have created.</p>

<p>The things you own end up owning you. Personal power and privilege can be addictive but they will mess with your psychology and diminish your potential. There is true freedom and joy to be found in helping other people to step up leaving you to revel in a loving network of peers.</p>
</div>
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