Did you know….Google automatically adds AND to find words together - so you really do not need to add it in there! Google will also disregards any spaces between commonly used words. For example childcare will include child care as well..

Basic Principles

Phrase search ("")
By inserting double quotes around a set of words you are in fact searching for exact results in that exact order. For example, "local dance clubs"

Search exactly as is (+)
By including a plus character, it forces Google to search exact words in exact order. For example, local+dance+clubs

Search within a specific website (site:)
Google allows users to specify that search results must come from a given website. For example, the query [Rudd:news.com.au/theaustralian ] will return pages about the Prime Minister but only from The Australian.

Words you want to exclude, NOT(-)
Including a minus character immediately before a word excludes results containing this word. The minus sign must appear immediately before the word and be preceded with a space. For example, anti-virus -software will search for the words 'anti-virus' and exclude reference to software.

Fill in the blanks (*)
The * (star character) or wildcard, is a little-known feature that can prove powerful. If you include * within a query, it tells Google to treat the star as a placeholder for any unknown term(s) to then find best matches. For example, the search [ Google * ] will give you results about many of Google's products (go to next page and next page -- many products).

The query [ Obama voted * on the * bill ] will give you stories about different votes on different bills. Note that the * operator works only on whole words, not parts of words.

Over the last few months I have been wondering exactly how to teach someone to collaborate.

Seems like a simple statement. Collaboration spaces are the tools to use, in which we teach others to use. One particular method I get best results from is:

One on one training. Guiding the user through the collaboration spaces, using specific examples within their work environment. The user will use their own documents, thoughts and structures.

Memory Joggers, quick reference guides and contact numbers for HELP. I like to provide any participant access to hard copy references so they can quickly refer to it during the working day. People like these, especially if they are small enough (and some like GLOSSY) to place beneath a keyboard.

Follow ups. I encourage any participant to contact me with all their questions, but to try and resolve it the best they can. By learning 'the hard way', i have found participants learn other useful tricks...Having said this, it is important to go through any resolved issues with the participant - incase they are doing it wrong and counteraffecting another issue highlighted!!

Person to person follow up. If the participant is in close proximity walk past and ask directly on their progress, thoughts and issues after their initial training..However, because we are discussing COLLABORATION...why not collaborate on the HELP FORUM...which will also help those trained in distant locations.

I encourage the use of collaboration, and found that by using this space to resolve issues and re-hash learning outcomes effective; it not only creates a knowledge base for future participants, but develops confidence in Collaboration (the action) itself and builds rapport via online communication.

Of course all learning methods are different to every person; there is no one learning approach that can be applied to one group. IT is the Trainer's job to understand the group and individual(s) to best develop a learning package that will be effective.

How to teach collaboration.??

Collaboration is an approach; Someone once discussed learning Email for the first time in the workplace. Though email was simple enough having many advantages, it was still a HUGE change in work practices (snail mail, telephone, fax). The same principle used then should be applied to learning collaboration.

To teach collaboration I would recommend:
Encourage the use by using it yourself
Force the use of collaboration - place all documents and discussions in the collaboration space with all users involved.
Continuous training
Create an online forum for help topics
Actively research how other departments are integrating collaboration
Old Way New Way workshops and training http://www.changetools.net/

Teaching collaboration and having the user to apply this approach is the hard part.

Many users can see the positive outcomes, there are many that dont have the time to relearn, there are alot of people that dont trust the new form of work methods.

Do you have any tips or tricks on how you have taught collaboration?