Getting the most beneficial collaboration out of your team isn’t just good for the team—it’s good for you and your company as well. Effective collaboration helps team members share diverse ideas, pool knowledge, and work toward common goals, which leads to better problem-solving and improved outcomes. As a manager, fostering this collaboration creates a more efficient and harmonious environment, reducing the need for constant intervention. For your company, collaborative teams are more innovative, resilient, and productive, making the business stronger and more competitive in the long run.

Collaboration can be undermined when a scarcity mindset and competition rear up. When resources like time, budget, or recognition feel limited, team members may become more competitive, holding back information to get ahead. This creates silos rather than fostering cooperation. In addition, when leaders or team members don’t show vulnerability or create a safe space for open dialogue, trust is eroded, making collaboration even more difficult. To build a truly collaborative team, leaders must model transparency and focus on creating an abundance mindset, where the emphasis is on what’s possible rather than what’s lacking.

Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast

• How can leaders foster a more collaborative and high-performing team?
• What role does scarcity mindset play in undermining collaboration, and how can it be overcome?
• How can showing vulnerability as a leader improve team communication and trust?

Resources:

• Why Collaboration Yields Improved Productivity (And The Science Behind It) - by Kate Vitasek, Forbes March 8th, 2022
• Why Collaboration Is Critical in Uncertain Times - by Jenny Fernandez, Kathryn Landis, and Julie Lee, Harvard Business Review February 13th, 2024
• New Study Finds That Collaboration Drives Workplace Performance - by Adi Gaskell, Forbes December 10th, 2021
• Cues of working together fuel intrinsic motivation - by Priyanka B. Carr, Gregory M. Walton, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology July 2014

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