It is no secret that “Collaboration is King.” Although I am personally all for collaboration, there are guidelines and ways to do it more effectively. Collaboration is a tool in which we need to learn how to use effectively because just as author Morten Hansen describes in his book Collaboration, “Bad collaboration is much worse than no collaboration.”
I am not an expert at collaboration by any means, but feel as if I have been privileged to be part of numerous projects that have lent itself to collaboration. In my experience Hansen’s quote holds true, where collaboration can easily decrease productivity.
Collaboration is often stereotyped as breaking down cubicles creating free and open spaces for where collaboration is more easily implemented. It is our responsibility to be more intentional with our collaboration.
Photo by Woodley Wonderworks
An article in Forbes talks about several obstructions to collaboration being effective in organizations with the major one being unclear goals. Have you ever been part of a collaborative project that has undefined goals? Without clear goals your collaborative time can become sidetracked, off course, and many times a waste of your time.
Not only can unclear goals lead to unproductive time, but can led to distrust and resistance in your organization. As leaders we not only do we need to see the importance for clarity and trust that are driven through collaboration. Ricci and Weise, authors of The Collaborative Imperative, state “When you’re open and transparent about the answers to three questions- who made the decision, who is accountable for the outcomes of the decision, and is that accountability real – people in organizations spend far less time questioning how or why a decision was made.”
If desire to create effective collaboration not only do we have to strive for clarity, but we need to ensure that there is trust within the organization. Establishing trust within an organization is essential for collaboration and growth. Collaboration may be king and foundational for growth but we must remember, “collaboration can’t be deployed; it must be embraced.”
How can you instill trust within your organization to implement healthy collaboration?
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