Collaborative Team Work — Are We Trying to Learn Something We Know Already?!

Here’s a funny, yet interesting story. One of my little nephews recently joined primary school at a fairly reputed college in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In his first or second grade, he was given an assignment in social studies with several multiple choice questions relating to home and family. One of the questions (in Sinhalese) translated to ‘who’s the head of the family? with 4 possible answers. This young man had picked ‘mother,’ which was eventually marked wrong by his teacher! He’s a feisty little guy and questioned it for days and even tried to justify it with examples — of course the feminist in me told him he was absolutely correct and he should go tell his teacher that the boss at home is always your mom :) (I’m not sure he did, but I sure hope so). It’s no fault of the teacher, nor the school. It’s a problem with the outdated curriculum that hasn’t evolved with the times. Firstly, it’s an unnecessary and stupid question. And if it should be kept in, whatever answer a child picks should be correct as times have changed, roles in the home have changed, and there’s simply no right or wrong answer to a question like that anymore.

So, why and how does this story relate to collaboration? It got me thinking about how the corporate world has placed so much emphasis on collaboration and team work and it’s becoming a ‘thing’ — if it hasn’t already — across most organizations. But, if you really think about it, collaboration is something that’s so natural to us and we have been doing just that in our homes before it became the preferred way in which we should work across organizations. In our homes, there’s always someone who’s good at certain things and it’s not specific to gender, age, or what role they play. For instance, I have girlfriends who can’t boil an egg without the risk of burning the house down, but have wisely chosen versatile partners who can whip up a storm in a matter of minutes. Then we have mothers and grandmothers who have fancy smartphones they can’t figure out and would reach out to the younger members of the family to guide them through social media and other cool things you can do with technology these days. That’s harmonious collaboration, in my opinion, and everyone’s happy because you call on the person who knows best to get the job done.

Culture is Key To Foster Collaboration in the Workplace

So, if it’s a characteristic that’s inherent in us, why is it so hard to implement in a workplace? Unfortunately, it’s because we create the hierarchical barriers that eventually lead to undue power and authority and swollen egos for some, while some others are left to feel like the poor, voiceless folks who must drudge along and go with the flow. For collaborative teamwork to thrive, companies must first instill the right values and a strong open culture and live and breathe this everyday. This doesn’t mean you must throw out titles, structures, and reporting lines. Those are absolutely necessary to ensure ownership and accountability in all the work we do, but the way we work and communicate must be open and inclusive. Both parties have an equal and important role to play.

Leaders and people with authority must move away from the old-fashion mindset of giving orders and setting mandates, and rather be open to fresh ideas from people at different levels, representing various aspects of the business. Sometimes the simplest solutions and best ideas may come from someone who’s not directly involved in a particular project or initiative and can see things from a different perspective. This is especially key when you now have a healthy mix of Gen X, millennials and Gen Z working together to achieve a common business goal. You need innovative and out-of-the-box thinking of the likes of Gen Y and Z. And then you need the people with experience and authority to assess the ideas and suggestions together with the rest of the team to put things into perspective and define the way forward. The leaders must enable and encourage people to ‘think’ and not just take orders and execute. This will encourage ownership and accountability and produce highly energized and empowered teams.

If an organization has the right environment in place, then it’s up to the people to step up and become passionately involved in the work they do through collaboration and team work. This means, challenging the status quo, speaking up, continuous education, and meaningful value add in whatever you do. To do this, of course, you first have to love what you do and enjoy doing what you’re doing — else, you should consider doing something else (refer to my previous blog Fall In Love With Your Work … Then Work Through the Challenges). Don’t be a passive employee and just do a job. Do your work with love and passion and become an expert in your areas of interest. Do it willingly, meaningfully, and responsibly. Keep building your personal brand by demonstrating your expertise through good, solid work and your career will flourish.