Keys to Collaboration at Work

Keys to Collaboration at Work – By Arnie Wohlgemut

I am a firm believer in collaboration. Collaboration outside my circle of control has served me well. The reasons are simple:

1. I don’t know everything. In every organization there is a collective knowledge far beyond my experiences. For example, having a conversation with a HR representatives to review staffing questions and training ideas was extremely beneficial. Similarly the accounts receivable and payable staff, legal department and procurement specialist had knowledge that I would find beneficial.
2. They don’t know everything either. Conversations and working relationships with other professionals helps them understand my role and the challenges I faced daily. In every way, the conversations with others helped me to make informed decisions.
3. Even though not all conversations or topics were pleasant, I continued to enjoy the relationships we all built.

“At work, any success we have or happiness we experience is highly correlated to the people who surround us. Without the ideas, engagement and energy of others, work quickly loses its purpose.” ~ Dane Holmes

Because of the relationships I built, the conversations changed. They moved from exploratory and searching for common ground conversations to engaged results oriented conversations. We could quickly determine what was needed to get the job done!

As Goldman Sach’s Dane Holmes reminds us, many of us fall into the trap of believing that our achievements are mostly a function of our own efforts. In many ways, our good fortune is a product of the community we inhabit.

I encourage you to make collaboration part of your leadership style.