ATD Blog
3 Steps to Developing Collaboration Competencies
Wed Dec 19 2018
Content
This is the third in a series of five posts to describe how managers can coach people to practice genuine collaboration in the workplace. These posts represent excerpts from the ATD’s new book, Focus On Them . Winsor Jenkins is a contributing author of the book.
This is the third in a series of five posts to describe how managers can coach people to practice genuine collaboration in the workplace. These posts represent excerpts from the ATD’s new book, Focus On Them. Winsor Jenkins is a contributing author of the book.
Content
In my first post , we established a road map described as a Team Mini-Charter for Developing a Culture of Collaboration—along with understanding the significance of an operating platform to support your team’s ability to lead with mindset and produce outstanding team results.
In my first post, we established a road map described as a Team Mini-Charter for Developing a Culture of Collaboration—along with understanding the significance of an operating platform to support your team’s ability to lead with mindset and produce outstanding team results.
Content
The second post introduced collaboration’s operating principles to explore how managers can leverage them to support their teams’ efforts to produce outstanding results. In this post, let’s take a closer look at collaboration’s competencies.
The second post introduced collaboration’s operating principles to explore how managers can leverage them to support their teams’ efforts to produce outstanding results. In this post, let’s take a closer look at collaboration’s competencies.
Content
The table below offers a breakdown of principles and competences:
The table below offers a breakdown of principles and competences:
Content | Content |
Content Operating Principles Operating Principles | Content Competencies Competencies |
Content Focus on team, not position Focus on team, not position | Content Change agility and learning agility Change agility and learning agility |
Content Understand that everyone can play Understand that everyone can play | Content Drive/energy, initiative, and technical expertise Drive/energy, initiative, and technical expertise |
Content Embrace diversity Embrace diversity | Content Global skills, relationship building, and sensitivity Global skills, relationship building, and sensitivity |
Content Rely on each other Rely on each other | Content Relationship building, team management, and being a team player Relationship building, team management, and being a team player |
Content Promote both individual and team values Promote both individual and team values | Content Global skills, integrity, relationship building, and sensitivity Global skills, integrity, relationship building, and sensitivity |
Content Seek skillful, adaptable players Seek skillful, adaptable players | Content Change agility, learning agility, organizing, and planning Change agility, learning agility, organizing, and planning |
Content Charge the team to perform the work Charge the team to perform the work | Content Results-oriented and visioning Results-oriented and visioning |
Content Empower players to win Empower players to win | Content Problem solving, decision making, and risk taking Problem solving, decision making, and risk taking |
Content Coach teams to respond to changing conditions on their own Coach teams to respond to changing conditions on their own | Content Change agility, problem solving, decision making, and communication Change agility, problem solving, decision making, and communication |
Content Develop partners on the field Develop partners on the field | Content Communication, coaching and counseling, delegation, influence, and relationship building Communication, coaching and counseling, delegation, influence, and relationship building |
Content Achieve cross-cultural agility Achieve cross-cultural agility | Content Global skills, learning agility, relationship building, and self-objectivity Global skills, learning agility, relationship building, and self-objectivity |
Content Described as the team’s skillset for practicing genuine team collaboration, the idea of teaching people a new range of competencies may seem to be a challenging task in the beginning. Developing competence takes time, but it’s not as complicated as you may think. Described as the team’s skillset for practicing genuine team collaboration, the idea of teaching people a new range of competencies may seem to be a challenging task in the beginning. Developing competence takes time, but it’s not as complicated as you may think. | Content |
Content
Once you and your team are comfortable with the language of competency development, the development process starts with diagnosis. To proceed with diagnosing what needs developing, a relatively easy place to start is by sorting competencies into three categories:
Once you and your team are comfortable with the language of competency development, the development process starts with diagnosis. To proceed with diagnosing what needs developing, a relatively easy place to start is by sorting competencies into three categories:
Content
1. Exceptional
1. Exceptional
Content
2. Proficient
2. Proficient
Content
3. Needs Improvement.
3. Needs Improvement.
Content
A second development step often is to schedule a 360-degree assessment to capture feedback from supervisors, peers, and direct reports. I have used this option many times—as both an internal and external coach—and found it to be highly beneficial for both people and the organization. It provides meaningful feedback for people on the team, and it represents a great platform for coaching.
A second development step often is to schedule a 360-degree assessment to capture feedback from supervisors, peers, and direct reports. I have used this option many times—as both an internal and external coach—and found it to be highly beneficial for both people and the organization. It provides meaningful feedback for people on the team, and it represents a great platform for coaching.
Content
Next, you can create action plans once strengths have been identified and assessed. From there, it’s a case of targeting selected competencies for growth, followed up with periodic coaching to help reinforce learning and application. Typically, competencies that fall into the “Needs Improvement” category are targeted for development. Keep in mind, however, that the overuse of competencies described as “Exceptional” may surface for development. Remember, competency-based development can include anything from workshops, readings, special developmental assignments, job rotation, and coaching.
Next, you can create action plans once strengths have been identified and assessed. From there, it’s a case of targeting selected competencies for growth, followed up with periodic coaching to help reinforce learning and application. Typically, competencies that fall into the “Needs Improvement” category are targeted for development. Keep in mind, however, that the overuse of competencies described as “Exceptional” may surface for development. Remember, competency-based development can include anything from workshops, readings, special developmental assignments, job rotation, and coaching.
Content
Bottom line: Your team’s ability to successfully apply collaboration’s competencies is tied to being mindful of which competencies are aligned with each of the collaboration’s operating principles.
Bottom line: Your team’s ability to successfully apply collaboration’s competencies is tied to being mindful of which competencies are aligned with each of the collaboration’s operating principles.