{"id":2092,"date":"2012-09-16T18:09:54","date_gmt":"2012-09-16T23:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/steinvox.com\/blog\/?p=2092"},"modified":"2012-09-17T12:23:22","modified_gmt":"2012-09-17T17:23:22","slug":"it-is-obvious-collaboration-is-simple-achieves-great-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/steinvox.com\/blog\/it-is-obvious-collaboration-is-simple-achieves-great-things\/","title":{"rendered":"It Is Obvious, Collaboration Is Simple, Achieves Great Things"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NeilArmstrongMoonFootprint\"<\/a>Recently, I was asked if fostering a culture of collaboration is simple <\/em>and what makes a good foundation upon which to build a collaborative culture? Recently, we lost Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. Thinking of this achievement reminds us that truly great things happen when we have all the right people and ensure that everyone\u2019s aligned energy is working toward a common purpose.<\/p>\n

Many have written about how a leader can develop a collaborative culture in their organization.\u00a0 Corporate HR has initiated collaboration programs to change company culture. Consultants as change agents <\/em>have created entire businesses by delivering programs that bring collaboration into their client\u2019s organizations. A lot of good work has been done in this area, to be sure.<\/p>\n

Collaboration Is Simple<\/h3>\n

I have observed three primary elements set the foundation for a collaboration is simple<\/em> culture<\/span>. Understanding these makes developing a collaboration is simple <\/em>culture in your company, group, non-profit, or team much easier. The keys are: team<\/em>, energy <\/em>and purpose<\/em>. To be specific, to build a collaboration is simple <\/em>culture, and to reap the profound benefits of collaboration in your organization, you need the right team<\/em>, aligned energy<\/em>, and a common purpose<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Right Team<\/h4>\n

On the surface, this may sound obvious. Clearly, you need team members that are competent and have skills. Competency is easy to measure and assess. You should put people on the team that have the competency and skills to do the job.<\/p>\n

However, to have collaboration, you need people on your team that not only get along; your people must have both the propensity<\/em> and the will<\/em> to engage<\/span> with each other as a team. Propensity <\/strong>is a \u201cnatural inclination<\/em>\u201d, and the will<\/strong> is the \u201cfaculty of conscious and deliberate choice of action<\/em>.\u201d You can call this fit<\/em>, but I think it\u2019s deeper than that.<\/p>\n

Aligned Energy<\/h4>\n

The greatest drain on a team\u2019s potential is to have one or more people failing to put their thought energy toward the team\u2019s objectives. If you add up all positive energy, you get greater positive energy. This is the energy your team uses to get things done. If any of the numbers are negative, then you are subtracting, and your team has lower performance, and produces lesser outcomes.<\/p>\n

Of course, you want people that think outside the box. Of course you DON\u2019T want a team of mindless followers. However you DO want a team that engages all its thought energy in a forward direction that drives toward an objective. And, the more aligned that energy is, the more progress can be, and is, achieved.<\/p>\n

When you have a team where everyone\u2019s energy feeds others, and feeds off of other\u2019s energy<\/span>, then you truly have a collaborative environment that will produce great results and exceptional outcomes.<\/p>\n

A Common Purpose<\/h4>\n

To have the right people with aligned energy, you must have a common goal or purpose. This one sounds easy, but to make it a common purpose, someone has to communicate, articulate and evangelize the goal. That leader must engage the team on a path aligned with the purpose.<\/p>\n

In doing so, the leader must look for the right team members, and observe how all energy is aligned. As a plan to achieve a common purpose unfolds, and in some cases, the purpose evolves, it will become clear how well the energy is aligned and if the right people are on the team. The team and its leader(s) continually tune and optimize these three elements.<\/p>\n

The Collaboration Equation<\/h3>\n

Like a three legged stool, you cannot have two of these elements, without the third<\/span><\/p>\n

Think of maximum performance <\/em>and optimal outcome <\/em>from collaboration <\/em>in terms of this equation:<\/p>\n

sum(People 1, 2, 3,\u2026 n<\/em>)\u00a0 +\u00a0 sum(Energy 1, 2, 3,\u2026 n<\/em>)\u00a0 +\u00a0 sum(Purpose 1, 2, 3,\u2026 n<\/em>)\u00a0 =\u00a0 Collaboration Level<\/p>\n

Granted, this is somewhat subjective. Thinking through this quantitative approach\u00a0 is a way to identify gaps and quantify risk<\/span>, and ultimately understand what to really worry about.<\/p>\n

Using this process, one can see where coaching and mentoring is needed, where more understanding of the common purpose would benefit, and where igniting the energy of one individual is needed, or even the replacement of a team member.<\/p>\n

A Word About Fit<\/h3>\n

Fit is commonly measured using personality assessments that a consultant or human resources believes will find the locus of an organization\u2019s culture, and identify how well a person aligns with that locus. (A locus is \u201cthe center or source of activities and power or energy<\/em>.\u201d) The problem with these is that the consultant or HR may be measuring for the wrong locus. If you, as a leader, are trying to adjust the locus from one of lesser collaboration, to one of greater collaboration, you may miss the mark.<\/p>\n

Why not be transparent and tell the team about the collaboration equation. <\/em>Let them know that is the operational expectation<\/span>? The equation is understandable and applicable by anyone . Good teams self-regulate the equation, if empowered to do so.<\/p>\n

Friction vs. Tension<\/h3>\n

Some leaders will argue that \u201ca little healthy friction is good.\u201d That is totally wrong. Friction is negative energy, and it is a net-negative in the collaboration equation<\/em>. Friction means you cannot achieve the same level of performance. Results become at risk. In business, friction in your organization gives competitors opportunity to steal your customers, erode market share, undermine product leadership, and more.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve observed leaders introducing friction into a balanced team \u201cjust because.\u201d When leaders introduce negative factors into the collaboration equation, the leader is setting an example. And, others will follow. This is a risky path to take.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, creative tension <\/em>comes from sharing ideas among the team. Shared ideas and the discussions that result from sharing introduces positive tension to thought and inspires new and better ideas. This initiates a cycle of natural and collective collaboration \u2013 in terms of team, energy and purpose \u2013 the collaboration equation<\/em>. The result is a better outcome, and improved performance.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t there, but I imagine that creative tension was a handy thing at NASA, especially during the Apollo 13 mission<\/span>. I feel confident in saying that \u201chealthy friction\u201d would have been disastrous for that mission.<\/p>\n

To Ponder<\/h3>\n

\"BuzzAldrinWithLunarModule\"<\/a>Kennedy\u2019s challenge to NASA to achieve something that was beyond man\u2019s current limits to comprehend set the common purpose, ignited NASA\u2019s aligned energy, and put the best team together. The outcome is nothing less than remarkable and inspiring.<\/p>\n

If collaboration is this simple, why then do we spend so much time worried about it, teaching it, and developing it? Clearly, the best answer is that we need it, and know its value. But tactically, one answer is that it requires constant vigilance. It could be that we have some of the wrong members on our team. As leaders, it may be the case that we haven\u2019t aligned all the team\u2019s energy, and need to work on that.\u00a0 And it may be that we don\u2019t have a common purpose or the purpose isn\u2019t understood well enough to be adopted by all. Whatever it is, we can think in terms of these three elements, and work on the gap.<\/p>\n

Leave a comment; tell readers your collaboration story.<\/p>\n

Photo credits: NASA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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