• Agile Transformation

How do we actually work together here?

Alignment meeting. Agenda? Clear. Attendance? 100%. And yet things are going awkwardly. Much is said, but little is coordinated. Or there is a lot of tuning in, but no one takes the decision. Afterwards, you go back to work with the feeling that you have been busy, but not necessarily working together. The previous article talked about leadership and culture. In this article, we look at where you see that reflected: in how people work together. Which of the 4 ways of working together is dominant in your case?

Working together sounds beautiful and natural. Until you notice that it goes effortlessly in one team and costs a lot of energy in another. Not because people don’t want to, but because the way work is organized gets in the way of real cooperation.

My observations on collaborating in practice

In many organizations, people work extremely hard, but not necessarily together. They all do their best within their roles, their responsibilities, their schedules. And that makes sense. Because every team works that way within a framework that implicitly or explicitly determines what behavior feels logical: when to tune in, when to follow through, when to wait and when to get involved. But there is much more than that framework. And you can influence what happens in that framework. So the question is not only: do we want to collaborate better? But also: how does collaboration actually take shape here?

Four ways collaboration takes shape

As with culture and leadership, you see four dominant ways in collaboration. None of them is right or wrong. Each way helps something. And also leaves something out.

1. Innovate & discover

Collaboration here is flexible and project-based. People seek each other out around ideas. Roles are temporary. That works well for innovation, but can also fragment.

Reflection questions for you:

• When does this freedom help?
• When do you long for more clarity?

2. Performing & winning

Collaboration is task-oriented. Everyone knows what they are responsible for. That gives focus, but can also strengthen competition.

Two reflection questions for you:

• Does this help you stay sharp?
• Or does collaboration sometimes become a means to achieve goals?

3. Managing & securing

Collaboration follows set structures. Consultations, roles and processes are clear. This gives peace of mind, but can inhibit initiative.

Reflection questions for you:

• Where does she shed?
• Where does this structure help?

4. Collaborate & connect

Collaboration is relational. People coordinate a lot and take care of each other. This increases commitment, but can delay decision-making.

Reflection questions for you:

• When does it become syrupy?
• When does this connect?

The real question about collaboration

Perhaps the most important question is not: how do we work together? But: which way of working together does our context now demand? And what does that require of me? In my behavior, my expectations, my team and my choices?

If you think back to the very first blog of this series on culture in teams and organizations, you’ll see that collaboration is a direct result of how a culture feels. And if you look at the previous blog on leadership, you’ll understand that leaders consciously or unconsciously direct which way of working together becomes dominant every day.

So it pays to reflect on this: which form of collaboration do you notice the most now? And what would happen if you consciously made room for another way? Talk about it with your team, or start a small experiment. Sometimes one question, one change in your own behavior, is enough to get something new going. I would be happy to discuss it with you.