5 Ways to Build Collaborative Mindset
Let’s face it, having to work with a group of people on a project isn’t everybody’s idea of a good time. And if you have to work with people from outside your own organization … well, the anxiety and aversion to participating can go through the roof.
There’s lots of reasons why people might wish to do anything but collaborate. Some of us (I count myself in this camp) are naturally introverted. Much of the time, we’re way more comfortable working through stuff in our own heads … coming out every so often for a bit of validation that we’re on the right track.
Maybe we feel like we have nothing to contribute … that our ideas just aren’t very good … that everyone else is better at this than me. Or, it’s the reverse. We have such specific expertise for this problem, and we feel we're the best person to solve it. We don’t need anyone’s help, thank you very much!
The good news is that, regardless of the reasons why you might be dreading collaboration, there are things you can start doing today to help shift you into the mental space where you can more effectively collaborate with others. Here’s five of my favorites...
1. Focus on the problem
Collaboration is a creative process that creates connections between people to explore new ideas and achieve a common purpose.
Collaboration is many people against one problem. The hang up for a lot of us is the ‘many people’ part of that equation.
So, they key is to intentionally shift your focus to the problem you are addressing through collaboration. Describe the problem from your perspective and write it down. Then ask yourself how the issue might be seen from other perspectives … maybe the perspectives of those impacted by the problem or by its solution. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even correct. This list is just a way for you to describe the problem from something other than your own frame of reference. When you do get into the room with the ‘many people’, you’ll have an excellent foundation from which you can confidently discuss the problem. It also gives you the mental flexibility to consider other perspectives when the time comes.
2. Describe the outcome
Why are you collaborating on this issue? Sometimes we intuitively know we need to work with others on a problem, while other times it’s been put upon us to collaborate. But we seldom take the time to define the ‘why’ in writing.
Take out a sheet of paper and list the benefits of working with others on this issue. Be super specific … remember, it’s about the specific problem as opposed to collaboration generally. I just write in bullet form, listing the benefits as they come to mind. Don’t limit yourself … big benefits and little ones … benefits to your organization or benefits to you. Just capture whatever comes to mind.
Now you can take it to another level. Pick a few of the benefits you listed that you think are significant and ask yourself … if we achieved this benefit, why is that important?
3. Connect offline
Strangers can be scary, especially if you’re like me and sometimes find it difficult to get into conversations. Don’t wait until you're all in a room together to meet them. Find out a little about your fellow group members by asking your colleagues or your boss.
Get on the phone to introduce yourself - just remember to focus on learning about your fellow group member and not slip into talking about the problem. The beauty of this introductory phone call is that the benefits are two-way. Your fellow group member get to learn about you at the same time you are learning about them.
Having some familiarity with the people you are collaborating with will go a long way to reduce your anxiety in a room full of strangers.
4. Prepare questions
It’s natural to focus on the knowledge we are bringing to a collaborative effort … what do I know that will help? … how will I contribute? People want to be prepared to contribute, and so they bring their evidence and their expertise so they can lay it on the table for everyone to see.
But really … it’s the questions that spur the best conversations and lead to the interesting or novel solutions. Asking questions, especially if they are coming from a perspective that has not been explored yet by the group, are very effective at drawing out new information.
Make a list of questions that you would ask to explore this specific problem. You might think about these questions from the perspective of others affected by the problem or its solution. Then, when you do start discussions with your group, you can use questions from your list to spur discussion and that give you the ability to listen to others in the group.
5. Practice with a colleague
Sometimes we just need to build our own confidence a little before getting into the room with a whole group of people. In quite a few cases, I’ve seen people come to ‘collaborate’ and then not say a single word.
When we are super shy or nervous it's helpful to practice in a safe place with familiar people. Practice allows us to figure out what we plan or need to say and how we might be able to do it. Even spending a little time articulating your thoughts out loud in a practice setting is helpful for people who tend to be uncertain in larger or unfamiliar groups.
These are just a few of the ways in which we can each prepare to be part of a collaborative group. I’d love to hear more about how you have fostered your own collaborative mindset or helped someone else get into the right headspace. Please share your thoughts in the comments or send me a direct message.
Happy collaborating!
Scott Millar often works as a "peacemaker" by gathering people with different experiences and values and helping them navigate beyond their differences to tackle complex problems together. Through Collaboration Dynamics, he offers a program in High Performance Collaboration, where he guides groups to explore the nature of collaboration, inclusivity, and innovation, and acquire new abilities to create the conditions that enable groups to contribute and thrive in challenging environments.
