How to Coach Yourself and Others Empowering Coaching And Crisis Interventions | Page 27

This book is in B&W, not color - Print page in Grayscale for Correct view! How to develop collaboration building 1 : Prepare to compromise. When working with a team, it is impossible for everyone to get their way, so compromise is imperative. Don't consider it a blow to your ego, simply a necessity when you develop collaboration skills and put them to use. 2 : Avoid taking it personally. When collaborating with a group, there is always a chance of getting your feelings hurt by insensitive team members or group decisions. Remember that decision-making should not be personal, it is just a natural part of the process. 3 : Focus on the well-being of the project. In order to fully develop collaboration skills, it is important to keep your eye on the task at hand. Focusing your efforts on the success of a project removes the urge to get your own way and helps a group stay on task. 4 : Communicate effectively. Without communication all sorts of problems are likely to pop up. By communicating in thoughtful ways and remaining mindful of others' feelings and motivations, you will be more likely to collaborate successfully. 5 : Identify challenges. If you have trouble developing collaboration skills, take some time to reflect on your difficulties. By pinpointing the hurdles in your way and the causes of your discomfort, you can map out ways to overcome them. 6 : Participate in team building activities. There are a number of team building workshops and activities that are easily accessible online or in person. Take the time to participate in team building activities as a way to quickly and efficiently develop collaboration skills. A-to-Z strategies for building collaboration in organizations Most people agree that effective collaboration is more important than ever in today’s turbulent environment. In a “do-more-with-less” reality, it takes ongoing teamwork to produce innovative, cost-effective, efficient and targeted solutions. In fact, the ultimate success of your intervention may depend on how well you and the other person can combine your potential and the quality of the information they possess with your ability (and willingness) to share that knowledge . So, what’s to be done? Here, from A to Z, are the most successful strategies to tear down fences, reduce conflicts and increase collaboration. A. Find ways to ACKNOWLEDGE collaborative contributors. Recognize and promote people who learn, teach and share. And, penalize those who do not. In all best-practices companies, those hoarding knowledge and failing to build on ideas of others face visible and serious career consequences. In those top companies, employees who share knowledge, teach, mentor, and work across departmental boundaries are recognized and rewarded. B. Watch your BODY LANGUAGE. All leaders express enthusiasm, warmth and confidence – as well as arrogance, indifference and displeasure through their facial expressions, gestures, touch and use of space. If leaders want to be perceived as credible and collaborative, they need to make sure that their verbal messages are supported (not sabotaged) by their nonverbal signals. C. Focus on the CLIENT. Nothing is more important in an organization – whether it’s a for-profit company or a non-profit group – than stayi ng close to the end-user of the service or product you offer. When you build collaborative relationships with your customers, you give them power and co-ownership of your organization’s success. D. DIVERSITY is crucial to harnessing the full power of collaboration. Experiments at the University of For [email protected] Property of Bookemon, do NOT distribute 27