Inviting a spirit of collaboration

One of the great symbols of freedom is the dove. Seeing one in flight engages many emotions including hope, pride and inspiration. It is a very similar feeling, when we share knowledge in a meaningful and constructive way. It lifts our belief that freedom of expression and connection does make a difference. When a conversation works well it provides a level of contribution and collaboration which is very hard to equal, simply because high leverage knowledge and innovation will happen if people work and learn together. If the flow and exchange is positive, a mutual benefit will result. We may not always be able to measure it but we know within our hearts it is happening.

High-quality relationships have become the most valuable commodity in business, more important than land, factories and bank accounts. Those who succeed in business today can openly gain the commitment of, and partner and team with, its customers, suppliers, alliances or its employees . Without this attitude winning the knowledge game is very difficult indeed.

To arrive at a point where relationships are beneficial, we need to create the dynamics of the teamwork required. Whatever the history or situation, we can never take collaboration for granted. Collaboration is much more than just communicating or steering a meeting; we need to create maximum opportunity for people to bond, find common ground, establish a plan and build on each other s ideas. Without such an intention and shared benefit, meaningful conversation will remain a distant dream. The truth is that, like trust, the lack of genuine collaboration is the biggest killer of healthy learning and innovation.

The key to growing successful relationships is not about demanding a contribution; it is about inviting people to participate and then asking for their permission. The more managers impose, the less likely they will achieve the openness they need. Forced participation is not only a killer of contribution; it also raises passive resistance, which stifles the potential for quality answers, questions and solutions. To engage higher levels of contribution and collaboration businesses should consider some smart ground rules, which will help it guide better exchange and cooperation. If you reach agreement on some common-sense ground rules you will find the group dynamics will be so much easier. The ground rules that I have found most versatile and useful, have been adapted from the work of Bob Dick and Tim Dalmau. These are:

Agree on and pursue common goals.
Explore why people need each other.
Show respect, share time and decisions.
Attend to each other and listen for understanding.
Build on ideas and acknowledge feelings.
Reveal assumptions before acting on them.
All take responsibility for the quality of conversation.

Many teams I have worked with have developed their own ground rules. Here is a listing of behaviours created by the Centre for Children Senior Management Team in the Benevolent Society based in Sydney.

To be an outstanding team we will:

trust, respect and support each other, embracing our strengths, experience and diversity
listen to, communicate with and seek to learn from each other
have a shared purpose that motivates us
acknowledge reflection as a vital part of our work
all take responsibility for the team s effectiveness.

So avoid the trap of going through the motions of being a good team. Come clean on the vital behaviours you need to be truly outstanding and high performing. Build a spirit of collaboration by fostering action and enhanced understanding, while recognizing that meaningful conversation is not about ignoring the difficult issue. It is the exact opposite ! We do not want people to be so busy being nice that nothing happens. The fact is that when collaboration has purpose and transparency it will contribute more.

We also must encourage people to build on other people s ideas. It is often the case that people are loath to use the wisdom of others. According to Korn/Ferry International, an executive recruitment firm who surveyed over 4500 scientists and engineers and 500 corporate leaders , 72 per cent of those surveyed said that knowledge was not reused across their business. Only 12 per cent said they had access to lessons invented elsewhere within their business. These results would strongly validate that collaboration is either sadly lacking or poorly channelled in most businesses.

In this regard, you may wish to explore the following questions in the future to raise the standard of collaboration, teamwork and partnering:

What are the current ways people collaborate?
Which staff, routines and decision-making processes help and hinder collaboration?
What routines, situations or rituals help people to engage in meaningful conversation?
Which behaviours or rewards steer people away from meaningful contribution, collaboration and partnering?
With whom do people collaborate and for what reason?
Who are the champions and killers of collaboration?

To raise the bar on why a spirit of collaboration is important, it must be painfully clear why it is so important. Needless to say, if there is a feeling of fear or duress, the chances of a deep and meaningful conversation will be remote. We need to create healthy dynamics, where people can take responsibility for future action and learning, and be free enough to suggest the radical and unconventional “ leading to a distinct possibility that egos are tossed out of the door and replaced by liberated honesty.