I’ve done a lot of “collabing” over the years.
Projects of all sorts, and it’s a treat to work with someone when there’s an ease all around. That’s what it’s like – fun and fabulous – as Wynne and I enjoy our shared projects – writing, workshops, podcasting or occasionally, musing about solutions to the world’s problems. 😉
Life is better when you have a trusted partner, one who embodies all the wonderful nuances associated with the phrase “better together”. I feel lucky. Wynne and I had a blast in our latest podcast as we talked about collaboration and how our other careers may have primed us for new adventures.
This week a client, coincidentally, wanted to chat about team building and leadership and our conversation turned toward the importance of synergy and collaboration. Even though the article pre-dates the pandemic, the principles outlined in this Harvard Business Review op-ed written by Francesca Gino, “Cracking the Code of Sustained Collaboration” hold true:
What’s needed is a psychological approach. When I analyzed sustained collaborations in a wide range of industries, I found that they were marked by common mental attitudes: widespread respect for colleagues’ contributions, openness to experimenting with others’ ideas, and sensitivity to how one’s actions may affect both colleagues’ work and the mission’s outcome. Yet these attitudes are rare. Instead, most people display the opposite mentality, distrusting others and obsessing about their own status. The task for leaders is to encourage an outward focus in everyone, challenging the tendency we all have to fixate on ourselves—what we’d like to say and achieve—instead of what we can learn from others.
Whether you’re working in person or thousands of miles away in distant time zones, I believe it’s possible to achieve the hallmarks of effective collaboration, identified by Gino:
- Teach People to Listen, Not Talk
- Train People to Practice Empathy
- Make People Feel Comfortable with Feedback
- Teach People to Lead and Follow
- Speak with Clarity and Avoid Abstractions
- Train People to Have Win-Win Interactions
My dad, a man who was successful despite many obstacles in his path, made a name for himself in the business world and it wasn’t because he had extraordinary gifts. He was a good guy, but beyond that, he exuded a belief in each of these six principles and lived them every day as a leader and my all-time favorite collaborator.
Even so, I know he’d add a seventh principle to Francesca Gino’s list, a culminating bit of wisdom:
7. Take the Time to Build and Sustain Trust.
Funny thing about that…it was on Wynne’s mind…and mine…in this clip:
I think you’ll enjoy our chat. As usual, we try to offer a mix of our deepest thinking with a side order of giggles. This time about collaboration. Mostly. 😉
-Vicki
Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to on Anchor Episode 63: Keys to Collaborative Success with Vicki and Wynne
Transcript for Episode 63 of the podcast
Episode 63: Keys to Collaborative Success with Vicki and Wynne on Anchor
Cracking the Code of Sustained Collaboration (hbr.org)
Wynne’s personal blog: Surprised by Joy
Vicki’s recently released book: Surviving Sue
Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith
Victoria Ponders 
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