Building a Home: Stabilizing a Distributed Team through Turbulent Times with Management 3.0 Practices and Miro.com — Personal Collaboration Cards (2/7)
In the first part, I described the challenges faced by my guild during organizational changes, leading us to adopt Management 3.0 and Miro.com. Reflecting on my background and experiences, I emphasized the importance of effective teamwork. The shift to a unified guild presented hurdles, prompting the use of Personal Maps to bridge gaps and foster collaboration. I discuss the setup, execution, and positive outcomes of a Personal Maps session, highlighting the effectiveness of Miro and asynchronous communication. The success encourages us to extend the practice, marking a significant step towards a cohesive and resilient team environment.
In this part of the series, I will shift the focus from “breaking the ice,” and delve into Personal Collab Cards, a Management 3.0 Practice designed as personal manuals for each colleague. I will explain how these cards work and summarize relevant aspects for effective collaboration. Additionally, I’ll share insights into my facilitation using Miro.com and Zoom, along with the guild’s adoption of Personal Collab Cards and the resulting benefits for the team.
TL;DR: In the second part of the series, Nils Hyoma discusses the shift from Personal Maps to Personal Collaboration Cards, emphasizing their role in team stabilization. These cards, acting as personalized manuals, enhance collaboration by summarizing work preferences. The article covers the motivation, facilitation process, and positive outcomes, highlighting the cards’ impact on transparency, conflict prevention, and remote team collaboration. The conclusion recognizes Personal Collaboration Cards as a potent communication tool, with a single Miro Board playing a pivotal role in shaping team strategies.
2nd Step — Personal Collaboration Cards
My motivation for using Personal Collaboration Cards as the next step was to bring transparency to the way of communication, co-creating, and collaborating in the guild. (Maybe you remember from the first part of this series, that some members of the guild find it difficult to work in Slack with the huge amount of channels in the organization.)
But what are Personal Collaboration Cards? They serve as personalized manuals for team members, encapsulating essential work preferences and boundaries to enhance collaboration. But see an example of a Personal Collaboration Card of me. A picture is worth a thousand words…
Why Personal Collaboration Cards? You can see a lot of information about me on the first view, or? Exactly, Personal Maps address important aspects of collaboration with a human, such as time zones and meeting availability, preferred communication channels, roles and responsibilities, personal interests, and key stakeholders. (You as a facilitator can easily adjust the categories based on your team's needs.)
By summarizing these details, the information radiator fosters a deeper understanding of each colleague, promoting smoother collaboration and increased motivation. The transparency provided by the cards aids in conflict resolution, prevents unintentional boundary infringements, and facilitates informal collaboration within the team.
Particularly valuable in remote settings, Personal Collab Cards contribute to a harmonious work environment by acknowledging and respecting individual needs and nuances. The cards are adaptable, allowing teams to customize content based on their unique collaboration requirements. Overall, Personal Collaboration Cards are a practical tool for building strong, well-informed, and collaborative teams.
How did I run the Session? Pretty similar to the Personal Maps Session. But first, download the Personal Collaboration Card from the Management 3.0 Site and build a Miro Version of it, so the team can change the given categories easily. One thing I changed based on one lovely request of the participating new joiners, I removed the small part of “de” in “What’s demotivating me?”
After the Session, we introduced the results in our weekly session again.
What are my learnings? The Personal Collab Cards Session and results were a positive experience. The self-build Miro Template was a good base for these sessions.
Tailored for four participants, the facilitation plan proved highly effective, ensuring engagement and achieving session objectives. As new joiners unfolded their Personal Collab Cards, the impact was beyond the session. We introduced the results and all members of the guild could see, when and how to contact the new members and in which topics they are happy to help and be involved.
One week later we planned a session after the weekly for everybody to create their Personal Collaboration Cards and the Personal Maps Miro Board changed to a Management 3.0 one.
From my perspective, the asynchronous use of Personal Collab Cards emerges as a potent communication tool, fostering effective interaction among both new and existing team members. While synchronous sessions have their merits, the asynchronous flexibility adds a valuable dimension.
My conclusion? After the ice was broken with Personal Maps, Personal Collaboration Cards are a good next step. I used often Personal Collaboration Cards in multiple setups and always in distributed teams. All Cards on one Miro Board create a powerful Information Radiator.
Additionally, the single Miro Board became the cornerstone for our communication and collaboration strategies, marking a pivotal evolution in our collaborative journey.
