To meet our deadlines. To see our goals to the end. To strengthen the teams we are part of and the relationships we foster within them. And, generally, to get shit done, collaboration is invaluable. It benefits everyone–employers, employees, the relationship between and within them. Engaging in collaborative work has been shown to cultivate higher engagement levels, lower fatigue levels, and a higher success rate.
Although dynamic and flexible by nature, collaborating with a team has some definite dos and don’ts when it comes to doing a job well done. PATTERN, with some added insight from Polina Osherov, Executive Director of PATTERN, breaks some of them down:
Do move as one: work toward the same goal
When working with a team, conflict and difference of opinion come with the territory. Establishing a clear, unanimous objective allows the whole team to unite under a single cause–despite the singularities that are bound to exist between team members.
Some questions to consider both individually and collectively: What does my role look like in making sure the team reaches success? Why is the end result important?
To this point, Polina emphasizes the importance of being “on the same page…having a destination in mind that everyone agrees on.”
Do follow the rainbow’s lead: recognize and play to your team’s diversity
For the same reason we hold rainbows as an exemplar of nature’s beauty, a diverse and multi-talented team is a beautiful thing. Team members straddle generations, cultures, sexualities, sexual orientations, classes–the list goes on. It is important to recognize this diversity as a strength rather than a threat.
We often fear what we do not understand, so finding common ground allows team members to build relationships while also learning to value each other’s strengths–however different they may be.
Do use your words: cultivate open, honest dialogue
Effective communication requires candor, receptivity, and patience. It is inevitable that you and a teammate will not see eye to eye, and it is at this pivotal moment that you choose to either make yourself open to others’ input–even if it feels more like constructive criticism than the praise we all hope for–or isolate yourself from external feedback.
Facilitate a judgment-free environment in which people feel free to voice ideas and concerns and to be candid with feedback.
Do unify communications systems
Email, text, Zoom, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft Teams…Feeling overwhelmed? To make all this manageable–and to ensure that ideas, memos, and changes in course are communicated effectively–it is essential that all team members use the same line of communication. When there are too many channels open, there are bound to be mixed signals and neglected inboxes.
To avoid this, it’s okay to go back to the drawing board and experiment, trial-and-error style, with different platforms until you find the one that is most compatible with your team.
Don’t bring your ego with you
When we become too attached to our egos, our rightness, we fail to see the slip-ups we are prone to, the room for improvement we always have. You can’t afford to be too adamant about your own ideas because there is no collaboration without cooperation.
In other words–“other” meaning Polina’s–“Collaboration can only work if you’re willing to take the backseat on some things.” Going out on a limb, there is always the risk of the branch cracking. But there is also the possibility of new heights, high-hanging fruit, and a better view.
Don’t give anyone the short end of the stick
Being part of a team is more than attending progress check-ins and RSVPing to Google Calendar invites. When it comes to collaboration, everyone has to pull their weight; otherwise, operations won’t run smoothly–if at all.
From turning in half-assed work to being passive aggressive about a problem you have with someone/thing to being constantly late to meetings to ignoring an overflowing trash can, the way you treat the people you’re working with sets the tone for your relationships as well as the goal you are all trying to meet.
Don’t be afraid to venture from the status quo
Been-done ideas and lukewarm brainstorming sessions are the bane of any collaboration’s existence. For those gorgeous aha moments, you have to color outside the lines and be willing to push against the discomfort that comes with going the road not taken.
The fear of falling short is understandable but quickly disillusioned once you take that first step outside the box. On this, Polina is confident: “It can be a huge pain in the ass; you have to work through all the things that don’t work…but, ultimately, it gives you better results. You just have to make sure you find the right people.”
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Dear reader, keep this collaborative know-how in your back pocket at all times. In whatever endeavors you pursue, you’ll be glad you did. In both the personal and the professional, collaboration not only keeps the ball moving but keeps it moving forward.
“True collaboration is super rewarding. It’s so nice to see a thing and know that all these people contributed to it. It feeds my soul.” – Polina Osherov, PATTERN Executive Director
You’ve got what it takes to get that next promotion, your biggest commission yet, whatever it is you have your sights set on–the successful collaborations you navigate are the steps that will carry you there. So get out there and get stepping!
