Stop, Collaborate and Listen: 6 Tips for Better Collaboration

Here at Oneupweb, we have many different types of people, each with their own set of skills. Our clients benefit from our daily strategy collaborations because that is when the magic truly happens. Let’s explain why.

How many times in life have you decided to take a step back from a problem that you were having and get the opinions of others? Were you able to break through and see the problem in a different light, enabling you to tackle it from a different angle? Chances are, listening to your friends, mentors, or family helped.

On the other hand, how many times have you hesitated to ask for help from your colleagues? This could be for a variety of reasons: fear, insecurity, etc. Or it could be because the culture is such that collaboration is frowned upon, and you fear being reprimanded or judged.

Still, effective collaboration creates breakthroughs and makes leaders shine. Remember: You don’t have to do it alone. Your colleagues are smart, so use them. Tap into that intellect! The old adage of two heads being better than one has been around for centuries for a reason—because it’s TRUE.

6 Tips to Help You Master the Art of Collaboration

1. Choose Participants Carefully

Don’t just ask for volunteers. Successful collaboration begins with picking the appropriate people for the task at hand. Give consideration to the skills, experience, motivations, and compatibility of the people you invite to the group. Depending upon the scope of the project, you may want all like-minded people or a blend of perspectives.

2. Be Honest and Speak Up

What good is working with a bunch of smart people if they won’t be honest and sharing? Find innovative, fun ways to stimulate passionate debate. Creative conflict is powerful and productive. Reward openness and authenticity with admiration. Real groundbreaking ideas only surface when people go all-in and feel safe enough to get vulnerable.

3. Plan Ahead

Random brainstorms with little or no structure will exclude some from the process, while allowing others to dominate the conversation. Outline in advance to ensure the best use of time.

4. Accountability

Articulate deadlines and make sure people know they have permission to speak up if others are not pulling their weight. Better to have the small distraction of rancor early on than a systemic failure near the deadline. Quickly remove non-compliant attendees before they destroy the trust and morale of the group.

5. Work with Respect

Few go into a collaborative project with intentions of being disrespectful; yet it often happens, verbally or non-verbally. Disrespect is shown by being late, missing deadlines, being unprepared, hogging the conversation, or distraction by irrelevant discussion. If everyone shows respect by focusing each minute of activity on the common objectives of the group, the required time will be short and the results will be worth the effort.

6. Broadcast Recognition and Gratitude

Lastly, give praise, credit, and affirmation often and loudly when they are due. If others in your office see the positive attributes of collaboration, they will be encouraged by your leadership to make effective collaboration pervasive and help establish a culture of developing groundbreaking results.

Click on the picture below to access your free copy of Content Marketing Quest–will you choose collaboration?