Five Key Ingredients to Successful Collaboration
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Teamwork makes the dream work.
Rock climbing is cerebral in nature.
Navigating the cliff face you are confronted with a range of different possibilities when scaling; where the best holds and crimps are; moving your hands and feet in coordination; making sure not to look down.
But the most vital element of rock climbing is the relationship between the climber and the belayer.
In the face of death-defying heights, collaboration is key. The belayer needs to constantly make sure the climber has enough rope to keep moving. The climber in return, needs to communicate to the belayer upcoming movements.
Together, the progress of the climb hangs in the balance.
Likewise, here at the studio, our work requires collaboration of a similar vein.
Phil Redmond from Data#3 outlines three types of collaboration:
creative – where two or more people create something to achieve a specific goal,
connective – bringing together information from disparate sources, and
compounding – where a team builds on previous achievements to reach further.
With key milestones to hit, different project resources, varied skills and expertise required and different ways to collaborate our experience has shown that there are five important factors to effective collaboration.
Environment
In order for collaboration to be effective, there must be a reason for collaboration to occur in the first place. The team at Discovery In Action echoes this stating that “collaboration for ‘collaborations sake’ does not guarantee a better outcome.”
Factors such as a history of previous collaboration and cooperation; if the group has the necessary resources; and if the individuals have relevant skills can all contribute to positive collaborative outcomes.
Purpose
Indeed, a reason for collaboration must exist. For instance, the climber and the belayer are focused on completing the climb safely and on time.
They have a shared purpose, outcome and vision.
The Future Organization outlines that by creating goals and objectives that a team can commit to, you motivate them to trust each other. This creates a willingness to participate which can be further enhanced by strong and visible commitments from those around them.
This can be promoted through voluntary or directed means, although the team at Discovery In Action outline that voluntary commitment is more effective.
Communication
In a book titled “Collaboration: What Makes It Work” by Paul W. Mattesich, Ph.D., Marta Murray-Close, B.A., Barbara R. Monsey, M.P.H, and the Wilder Research Center, communication is vital to collaboration.
The book outlines that open and frequent communication allows group members to “interact often, update one another, discuss issues openly, and convey all necessary information to one another and to people outside the group.”
Most importantly, good communication allows team members to feel heard and develop meaningful personal relationships with each other. This produces a “better, more informed, and cohesive group working on a common project.”
Diversity
Collaboration is deeply entrenched in problem solving. Therefore, having a diverse group of problem solvers is vital. A diverse group brings together different skills, knowledge, behaviours and experiences – promoting adaptive and agile problem solving.
Much like the belayer offering advice on the climber’s next move; a designer might have input on content strategy or a programmer might have insight optimizing social ads. A diverse group acknowledges that everyone has something to contribute.
As Phil Redmond from Data#3 states, “a variety of personalities and demographics brings a far broader range of perspectives.” The more diverse the group, the more effective their collaborative output.
Framework
Ultimately, the framework that underpins any collaborative work needs to promote it through a shared understanding of process.
An appropriate framework encourages multiple layers of participation and allows members to share a stake in the process and outcome. Here, group members understand their roles and responsibilities, and how best to carry them out.
The framework must also be flexible to the diverse nature of the group, allowing them to organize themselves and accomplish work in a multitude of different ways.
Most importantly, an effective framework fosters adaptability. Outlined in Collaboration: What Makes It Work, adaptability refers to the “collaborative group’s ability to sustain itself in the midst of major changes.”
Although collaboration in working towards a common goal is vital, it is when things change that shows a team’s true collaborative mettle.
