I recently read an article from Forbes entitled “18 Ways to Boost Collaboration in High-Pressure Industries”. After reflecting on this excellent article, I synthesized these 18 ways into a Top 10 and added my own insights as a meditation and negotiation specialist. Read on to learn more, and, after reading this commentary, let me know what you think.
1.Focus on the task
What is your mission? Focus on the task at hand and avoid the temptation to be distracted from your mission. If pressure is too high and internal squabbles begin to take over, pause, identify, address, and resolve conflicts, focusing on the aspirational external mission as a unifying goal. Recently, while working with a board, I helped the leadership move from pettiness and hard feelings to preparing to enter the negotiations as a unified team. While speaking with individual participants, I learned that each had a perspective of things that had happened in the past that weighed on their unity as a team. By listening actively and asking open-ended questions, it became clear that everyone had an underlying interest in a future negotiation going well. By focusing on the task ahead, individuals were able to get over past pettiness and dysfunction.
2. Recognize team success
Instead of praising individual members, focus on recognizing when individuals work together, especially those who have had harmful conflicts. Mentor each participant to assist in their personal and professional development. Share best practices and debrief them with feedback on what we will do in the future based on what we have learned. Support each other through difficult times. Have your best people share what they know. Incentivize the team's success. Emphasize that there is no success without team success. Plan recognition from the outset, with how you will recognize the team and at what stage(s) along the way.
3. Celebrate differences in perspective and experiences
Address the advantages of a team with diverse differences. My experiences are not your experiences. We are all shaped by our experiences. By bringing on board diverse perspectives, we can support various perspectives, promote letting go of judgments, and support their successes. This approach promotes understanding, diversity of thought, and collaboration. Developing solutions together, promoting authentic connecting relationships, and active listening encourage success. Value the differences each member brings and ensure all are heard.
4. Be flexible and accountable
By promoting flexibility while promoting accountability for actions taken, you can promote autonomy while at the same time promoting and empowering the team to work together. A culture of independence and flexibility promotes closer communication and trust. Flexibility and accountability ensures that our people will work together more creatively and collaboratively, and we will be amazed at the results. Trust your people and assume good intentions.
5. Demonstrate humility and vulnerability
Admit that “I don’t know” and “I am sorry” and “I need your help,” and “we are all in this together.” Being humble and asking for help are two of the most significant ways of demonstrating that you respect the other person and we need and want their help. This is one of the greatest compliments you can give someone else. Ask open-ended questions to understand others’ perspectives better. Promote shared goals rather than divided interests. When you make a mistake, admit it, and show that you, too, can make mistakes, and focus on what you can do with where you are now and where you are going.
6. Focus on values
Establishing a culture of shared values will encourage team members to be more collaborative. The team will set shared expectations around ways to promote respect, active listening, caring, concern, and the well-being of each other. Values matter. Having an initial sharing of values and what is important to your team sets the stage for what is expected of every member of the team.
7. Remove non-team players
If someone is not onboard, explore why. Is there something going on outside of the work environment? Do they need professional help? Is there something else going on? Try to work with the individual to explore reasons behind any dysfunctional behavior. Sometimes the person is not the right fit for a group. If they are not a right fit, work with the person to determine where they may fit in with someone else in the organization but not on this team, Team members need to be supportive of one another. If someone is cut-throat, they need to be removed. There is no room for back-biting, blaming, or negative behavior. These are harmful in the long run and should be addressed as soon as discovered. If there is not a fit in the organization, addressing it may be an issue to raise with HR.
8. Initiate coaching and mentorship
There are formal mentoring programs. Formal programs are an option, but here the focus is on purposeful training and coaching. Coaching and mentoring can be cross-functional with skill sets between members. Experience in real-world applications may be forthcoming to help newer employees without a prior experience. On the other hand, technical capabilities and newer communication techniques may be forthcoming to help with seasoned employees. Look for ways team members can help coach and enhance skills with one another. In some cases, additional mentors may be assigned.
9. Practice empathy
Empathy means to put yourself in someone else’s place. In a high-pressure environment, different employees react to stress differently. Looking for signs of stress and abnormal behaviors can provide insight to help your employees. Understanding capabilities means applying situational leadership appropriately to the individual to help that employee through this more difficult time. Consider what tasks are assigned to whom and what may be the best use of each individual’s time with the facts you have in front of you. What is the best use of everyone’s time at this moment?
10. Reward collectively
Rather than individual recognition, focus on the team effort: structure bonuses and appreciation around team efforts rather than personal accomplishments. For example, a recognition memorandum can be issued halfway through a significant project, and another at the end of the project to people above and down the organization chain that includes a paragraph about what the team effort accomplished, followed by a paragraph recognizing the individual efforts of team members. It can help in the short run with recognition and a bonus and facilitate promotion and additional opportunities in the future. Reinforcing collaborative effort and a supportive environment can promote team cohesion, innovation, and improved business results.
Hopefully, the above ten tips will provide ideas for boosting collaboration within your team and others.
If you want to learn more about my publications on collaboration, conflict resolution, or enhancing your servant manager skills, which focus on leading by serving and understanding the needs of your team members, feel free to reach out.