Today's organisations operate in an increasingly interconnected environment where success depends on how well people collaborate across functions, departments, organisations and even industries. As Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, hybrid work, complex stakeholder expectations and rapid business changes reshape the workplace, collaboration has become a critical core capability for achieving innovation, agility and sustainable performance.

Despite recognising its importance, many organisations continue to struggle with organisational silos, ineffective communication, low trust and fragmented decision-making. Traditional teamwork approaches are no longer sufficient for solving today's complex business challenges. Organisations need professionals who can collaborate strategically, influence without authority, build trusted relationships and mobilise collective intelligence to achieve shared outcomes.

The Art of Strategic Collaboration is a highly practical one-day executive programme designed to help managers, executives and professionals build these essential capabilities. Built around the C.O.R.E. Collaboration Framework, participants will learn practical strategies for strengthening workplace relationships, enhancing cross-functional collaboration, resolving differences constructively and creating greater value through collective success. The programme also draws practical insights from Zheng He’s Art of Collaboration, Sun Tzu's strategic thinking, Confucian principles of harmony and trust, and Kaizen's philosophy of continuous improvement to provide participants with a holistic and practical approach to collaboration.

Objective

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to

• Understand why strategic collaboration has become a critical capability for organisational success in today's interconnected workplace.
• Apply the C.O.R.E. Collaboration Framework to build stronger relationships, align stakeholders and achieve shared business outcomes.
• Connect people and organise around shared purpose to strengthen collaboration with effective communication, trust-building, influence and constructive conflict management.
• Resolve differences and strengthen partnerships effectively across teams, departments and organisational boundaries to improve innovation, decision-making and execution.
• Execute together with other stakeholders for sustainable success by developing a practical Collaboration Action Blueprint for immediate workplace application.

Outline

Introduction: Why Collaboration Has Become the New Competitive Advantage

Module 1. Building the Foundation for Strategic Collaboration

1.1 The changing world of work and collaboration
1.2 Why collaboration is the new competitive advantage
1.3 Why traditional teamwork is no longer enough
1.4 Introducing the C.O.R.E. Collaboration Framework

Module 2. C.O. – Connect People and Organise Around Shared Purpose

2.1 Building trust and psychological safety
2.2 Creating shared purpose and stakeholder alignment
2.3 Communicating and influencing across teams
2.4 Applying Zheng He’s Art of Collaboration to build trusted partnerships
2.5 Collaboration Simulation: Solving a cross-functional business challenge

Module 3. R. – Resolve Differences and Strengthen Partnerships

3.1 Understanding collaboration barriers and organisational silos
3.2 Managing constructive disagreements and difficult conversations
3.3 Negotiating win-win outcomes and shared accountability
3.4 Confucian Harmony and Sun Tzu's Alliance Strategy for sustainable collaboration
3.5 Collaboration Challenge: Achieving results through strategic partnerships

Module 4. E. – Execute Together for Sustainable Success

4.1 Collaborating in hybrid, digital and AI-enabled workplaces
4.2 Building a culture of continuous collaboration and improvement through Kaizen
4.3 Strengthening organisational agility through collaboration
4.4 Developing Teamwork and workplace collaboration with AI
4.5 Developing My Collaboration Action Blueprint

Conclusion – Journey Towards Becoming a Strategic Collaborator

Who should attend

Managers, Assistant Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders, Project Leaders, Project Managers, Government Officers, HR Professionals, Learning & Development Professionals, Executives, Professionals, High-Potential Employees and anyone responsible for leading or working in cross-functional teams, collaborative projects or stakeholder partnerships.

Methodology

Mini-lectures, collaboration self-assessment, collaboration challenge, case studies, collaboration simulations, group discussions, experiential learning, peer sharing and Personal Collaboration Action Blueprint.

Steven Koh's Profile

Steven Koh is a corporate trainer, learning facilitator, curriculum designer, business consultant, workplace learning specialist and community builder with over 33 years of industrial and management experience in leadership development, workplace learning and organisational capability development. He has designed and delivered more than 50 customised training programmes for government agencies, multinational corporations, local enterprises, educational institutions, professional bodies and non-profit organisations across diverse industries. More than 50,000 leaders, managers, executives and professionals have benefited from his programmes.

Steven specialises in helping organisations build future-ready leaders, strengthen workplace collaboration, develop strategic mentoring capabilities and create high-performing learning cultures. His flagship programmes include New Leadership for New Leaders in a New Era, The Art of Strategic Collaboration, The Art of Strategic Mentoring, together with customised programmes tailored to organisational needs.

Beyond corporate training, Steven provides consultancy and advisory services in:

• Talks & Executive Speaker Series
• Lifelong Learning Seminar Design and Facilitation
• Workplace Learning Design & Implementation
• Training Needs Analysis
• Training Grants & Funding
• Building Workplace Learning Communities & Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
• Executive Coaching & Strategic Mentoring
• AI-enabled Workplace Learning and Workforce Transformation

Steven serves as an adjunct faculty member with a leading university, and has also contributed to Singapore's national institute for adult learning as an adult educator mentor, adjunct trainer, curriculum developer and Special Interest Group leader. He has mentored over 120 adult educators and corporate trainers, organised numerous professional learning events, and guided organisations in strengthening workplace learning capability.

A passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Steven founded a professional lifelong learning community that has grown to over 5,000 leaders and professionals from more than 99 cities worldwide. He also led a global technology company's community leadership programme in Singapore, bringing community leaders together to learn, share and collaborate for greater impact.

Steven holds a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science & Information Systems) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a Master of Business from RMIT University, Australia. He is a Fellow of The Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL), UK, a Specialist Adult Educator (Curriculum Development), a Certified Workplace Learning Specialist (CWLS), and holds the Diploma in Adult and Continuing Education (DACE) and Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA).