This is the first 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 Association for Talent Development’s new book, Focus On Them, scheduled for publication in December 2018 by ATD Press. Winsor Jenkins is a contributing author of the book.
The importance of culture cannot be overstated when it comes to collaboration. We know that technology continues to become an enabler of collaboration. However, if we believe that culture is a pattern of basic assumptions invented, discovered by or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems as described by Edgar Schein, then we must acknowledge that culture is critical to collaboration. That is, collaboration would never happen if we relied solely on technology!
Your roadmap for developing a culture of collaboration starts by focusing on the five components illustrated below.
Team Mini-Charter for Developing a Culture of Collaboration:
Theory Y Assumptions + Operating Principles + Competencies + Team Behaviors = Team Norms
COLLABORATION'S OPERATING PLATFORM = PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY / EQ
Typically, a team charter is described as a set of agreements that clearly describes what the team wants to accomplish, why it’s important and how the team will work together to achieve results. Most team charters have components that describe the team’s vision, mission, purpose, values, norms, team member roles, key responsibility areas and team goals, communication strategies, decision making authority and accountability, and available resources. I’ve limited this discussion on team charters to the components listed above, critical to practicing genuine team collaboration.
Indeed, developing collaboration’s team charter here represents only one key piece of a larger operating framework for organizations to address for developing a culture of collaboration. Other components to address include HR Systems and Processes, Compensation and Rewards, and Goal Setting for example. Establishing a collaborative mindset at the top of the organization and cascading it down through the organization would be the most significant part of the framework.
COACHING USING COLLABORATION’S OPERATING PLATFORM
Your coaching starts with understanding the three key components that make up Collaboration’s Operating Platform: Theory Y Assumptions, Collaboration’s Operating Principles, and Collaboration’s Competencies.
Theory Y – or positive assumptions about the potential of people to get the job done, serve as the foundation for developing a culture of collaboration. Edgar Schein, world-renowned expert on organizational culture, describes one’s underlying assumptions as the source of values – and eventually behaviors and actions for defining culture. Holding Theory Y assumptions, for example, means you are well positioned to hold a value that helps build trust with people on your team. This contrasts with managers with Theory X – or negative assumptions…who will find it difficult to trust people and struggle with delegation.
Collaboration’s Operating Principles represent a series of novel principles that serve as the foundation for developing an alternative – or collaborative mindset. These operating principles, adapted from the global game of soccer to mirror the team’s actions on the field, serve as governing principles to help frame individual and team decisions around collaboration – and ultimately behaviors / habits – leading to improved team effectiveness. Without these principles (and corresponding platform described above), the team’s actions and their application of tools will be limited.
Collaboration’s Competencies are made up of a number of competencies aligned with Collaboration’s Operating Principles. Through the process of developing competencies aligned with each Operating Principle, you and the team start to acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to have a collaborative mindset. I describe this as a never-ending cycle where collaboration’s mindset not only helps shape or frame an individual (and team’s) application of Collaboration’s Competencies, but also serves to motivate their interest or desire to acquire the needed competence.
Below is an example of an Operating Principle along with one of three essential Competencies aligned with this principle, and the behaviors associated with this competency.
OPERATING PRINCIPLE: Coach Teams to Respond to Changing Conditions on Their Own
COMPETENCY: Change Agility
PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR: People are flexible and open to new ideas, quick to adapt to new situations, employ change management techniques, and are comfortable with ambiguity.
The combination of Theory Y assumptions, Operating Principles and Competencies allows you (and your team) to lead with mindset and provide a safe work environment to practice genuine team collaboration and achieve outstanding team results.