Often the words “collaboration,” “coordination,” and “cooperation” are used to describe effective teamwork. But they are not the same, and when we use these words interchangeably, we dilute their meaning and diminish the potential for creating powerful, collaborative workplaces.

Collaboration was big in the news when Marissa Mayer explained her decision to bring back to the office the Yahoo employees working at home: “To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side by side.”

Mayer’s belief that we work together better when we have real relationships, and that it is easier to build relationships when you have face-to-face contact is not unfounded. Coordination and cooperation is essential for effective and efficient work accomplishment, and some research supports the notion that some face-to-face time makes a big difference.

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