Due to the present business environment, I hear a lot about collaboration. Although full of possibilities, collaboration can be a big challenge for leaders. It’s easy to forget that, as great as collaboration is, it is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
The best leaders can adjust to the needs of an organization while keeping the end result in sight. They find a way to see, value, and inspire their people. As a result, a united group of people communicates and works together effectively to achieve a common purpose. This is collective power in action!
I was reading today the book As One by Mehrdad Baghai and James Quigley. The book is the result of a two year research project conducted by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. The authors see the task of leaders as identifying which people need to be involved (the Who), what purpose they need to satisfy (the What), and then How do we need to collaborate to get the results we seek.
The book gives a simple and practical formula to turn individual action into collective power:People (Who) + Purpose (What) + Productivity (How) =
Effective Collaboration
1. People
Develop people’s sense of belonging to their group at work. Make sure they have a strong shared identity, a sense of who they are in the organization. You also need to make sure you have the right people working on the right project. This includes having as group members representatives from all areas affected by the issue.
2. Purpose
You need to have a clear sense of purpose for yourself and your organization. Then you need to involve people in shaping and acting on the goals of the organization. A leader shapes conversations in a way that result in people’s commitment to act on the goals that give purpose to the organization. They agree and commit to what needs to be done.
3. Productivity
When the who and the what is clear, it is a lot easier to decide together on how things are to get done. A clear sense of purpose will foster energy that will drive planning and action for getting things done in the best way.
The power of collaboration is seen in the results. For effective collaboration successful leaders take into consideration that different kinds of organizations or situations with different kinds of objectives call for different kinds of leadership and collaboration.
Share your thoughts
How do you decide what style of leadership and collaboration is best to achieve the end results you need? Leave your answers in the Comments area below, and let’s get a conversation going.
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