Collaboration Nation

As much as I enjoy working on my own in a vacuum where people leave me alone, I also know that the work that I do, the field that I am in and the place where I work do not make it conducive for solo siloed work. I am a part of so many different workgroups within and outside of my work place, and there are truly a few things that I am learning about collaborating with people. This list is not exhaustive, but I have found that these have been the most helpful for me, so I want to share them with you 😊:

1. Normalize vulnerability
   Brené Brown describes vulnerability as “the feeling we get during times of uncertainty, risk, or emotional exposure.” (Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone) and when we carve out the intentional space to allow people to share themselves free of judgment (while we intently and deeply listen), then they are more willing to admit mistakes, celebrate wins, etc. along the way, which helps in the learning process, crystallizing psychological interaction safety and building trust within the team.
2. Vision + Purpose + Commitment + Follow Through= The Building Blocks of Success
   These four are crucial for anyone to be successful, and done well in a team setting, collaboration becomes second nature. I have been in teams where one has been missing, and they have been rather awful experiences. When all these four are present and they are shared by the whole team, collaboration becomes easier.
3. Create parameters for how you will all work together.
   Team Charters, Working Agreements, group norms. Ringing a bell yet? What I love about these is that it sets the precedent for how the team will work as a collective. We all come in with different experiences, so when a team dedicates time, space and energy into co-creating these before they start getting to work, then the team comes up with a set of understanding and expectations of each other and from each other done with each other.
4. Tensions. Intentions. Attention.
   This is still a work in progress for me and I have implemented this in many facets of my work. What I have found helpful in naming the tensions, intentions and attention of any collaborative is that we are able to name these. Tensions focus on this question: What does each person need to let go of in order to be fully present? This allows team members to be present by allotting some time towards centering themselves. (NB: this has to be time-limited or the team does not get anything done!)
   Coaching has taught me the power of intention-setting, and I see the value of intentions when questions such as What does each person want to contribute to and get out of this meeting? What are some decisions that the team wants to make? are posed to the group. This creates clarity around the things that the group would like to get to by the end of the meeting. Last but not least, Attention is all about creating awareness around What are some things and/or updates the group needs to consider as it continues to move forward? As I have shared, I have found these quite helpful during meetings as it shapes the container from which the team is operating out of.

I hope these have been helpful for you in some way, manner or form. Happy teaming! Happy collaborating!