I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about collaboration lately and noticing how much more I am embracing it and even seeking it out. This is quite a change from where I used to be.

I am the youngest of three children with a 10 year difference between my sister and I and a seven year difference between my brother and I. Because of this age spread, and just because siblings sometimes ignore each other, I learned at a very young age to be independent and not ask for anyone’s help. Because of this, I thought that was the way it was. At school, you studied, learned, came to your own conclusions, presented them, and then they were accepted or not. Pretty simple.

Then I began in the working world and early on, that type of behavior was reinforced. The individual contributor was awarded. She who got there first got the gold star (and the raise). This worked well as a single contributor.

When I began managing people, I noticed the shift toward getting things done through others, but there was still the element of my reporting up to a boss and being told “Good job, Pat.” (not always, mind you.)

A few years ago, I attended a ten month Leadership program that helped me take a look at collaboration and experience the outcomes. We did some personality typing during this time and there was something about me that was reinforced. This was the aspect in me that loves to get things done and check them off as done. I am an activator. I make things real, but in my hurry to make things real, I can get focused and not listen to others input. I had an experience, at that time, where I really stepped over someone and it was a situation that turned very confrontational toward me.

When I asked the course leader what can I watch out for she said, “Pat, you are great at making things real and getting things done. In doing this, you accomplish a lot. You also have the capacity of accomplishing a lot of little things. If you stop, take the time, and listen whole-heartedly to others, you can accomplish great big things."

Think about it…where in your life are you accomplishing little things? Stop. Take the time. Listen whole-heartedly to others. You can accomplish great big things.

Step into leading and play a Bigger Game in your life…don’t wait…model leadership…the World needs us to do this.

Lead strong!

Pat

• Create opportunities for people to generate and implement their own best ideas.
• Encourage cooperation, rather than competition, between different work units. Make sure groups set their goals in harmony with one another and that the goals are mutually supportive.
• Provide a clear charter and purpose for the teams you sponsor. Also state your expectations up front.
• Encourage others to form teams, made up of diverse individuals, who represent different functional or business areas. This provides the team with a broader perspective on issues.
• Make a list of the key strengths and limitations of each person on your team. Find ways to utilize the strengths and to build understanding of one another’s styles and interests among your team members.
• Acknowledge, summarize, and reinforce the contributions of your team members.
• Solve problems with the people who will be most affected by the decision.
• Help team members understand one another better. Share information about how work is being done. Discuss work histories, specific skills, successes, and talents

Excerpt from "Successful Manager’s Handbook" by Susan H. Gebelein, Lisa A. Stevens, Carol J. Skube, and David G. Lee

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