The magic of collaboration vs. the monotony of co-working

Image by Zac Ong

Collaboration can be a wonderful thing, it can spark creativity, defuse conflicts, be a grounding block for innovation and assist in creating an inclusive and welcoming company culture. However, it can also be misunderstood.

Too often it’s used as a fancy word to describe people working together on the same project or in the same environment. In those cases, it’s not collaboration, it’s co-working. Collaboration is a conduit to creating something new and unique; and in order to be effective, it means not only inviting others to be active participants but also encouraging them to share their ideas without reservation.  

You don’t get to collaborate, if you don’t get to speak up. Speaking up can be particularly difficult for women. Even though I am a successful professional expert by trade, I work in the manufacturing industry, which means that more often than not I am still the only woman in the room. I cherish the privilege of having a seat at the table, and I also realize that while I will fight for my voice to be heard, even if it means interrupting men, not all women would do the same. So how do you embrace collaboration and encourage others to be engaged? Is it a huge undertaking? Is there a step-by-step guide that one can follow? Luckily for you, the answer to the former is no, and the answer to the latter is yes. 

Follow these 4 steps and you will create an environment where people openly share their ideas, challenge each other and create content and product that’s unique and innovative. 

01. Listen as much if not more than talk

All of us have been in a room of people where select few dominate the conversation, while a few others don’t say a word. If people in the room are quiet, it’s not because they lack ideas or thoughts, it’s most likely because there is no air time available for them to voice their opinion. Set out a goal for yourself to spend as much time listening as you do talking, and ensure that others are practicing the same. When I say listen, I don’t mean just keep quiet. I mean, actively listen! A few years ago I have made it my mission to be more present during meetings, and what has worked for me was to challenge myself to write 1 take-away from everybody who was talking. That exercise forced me to pay close attention to what was being said.

02. Practice perspective taking

The beauty of collaboration is that you get to hear other people’s ideas. We all have blind spots, and when we invite others to contribute content, it’s just as important to be accepting of their ideas. Hopefully, their thoughts will be different from yours, and at times you will struggle to see their point or value in their contributions. The best thing to do is practice perspective taking. Look at the problem from their point of view, stay curious about what went into their decision matrix, what intrigues them about the idea, what do they expect pros and cons to be. Put yourself in their shoes, and chances are you will either understand their idea or you might spark your creativity and think in a different direction that wouldn’t have been possible without collaboration. 

Image by Tom Hill

03. Establish safe environment

I have been to plenty of brain-storming sessions where people leading them had little interest in ideas that were different from the majority or where ideas were unique and out of the box. It’s absolutely paramount to have a safe environment, where no idea is deemed as worthless or stupid. There is nothing wrong with openly challenging the idea, its feasibility or committing to exploring it further, but it’s absolutely demoralizing when you shut one idea down vehemently because it’s different. It signals judgement and punishes diverse views, and differentiation is what defines innovation. Be open to feedback, and be careful with how you give it. Avoid blaming the person sharing the idea, and communicate that all input is welcome. If you introduce an idea, you want it to be challenged by others but respectfully. It’s much better for your peers, who have the best intentions, to poke holes in it, rather than implement the idea that isn’t well thought out or has major gaps in intended audience, delivery messages or execution.

04. Give credit where credit is due

There is nothing more de-motivating than realizing that somebody has taken credit for your work. While in general I agree that a whole lot more things get accomplished when people don’t worry about who gets the credit, but if the credit is to be given, then it’s critical to acknowledge women who have introduced the idea or have worked tirelessly on its implementation. There are stories upon stories where women contribute as much as men, yet  men are the ones asked to present the findings. This is the perfect opportunity for men to be our allies. This is where you bring in the person who has worked with you into the conversation, so their voices are heard and their efforts are elevated and seen.