This is a theme of my recent TEDx Talk – Coaching Teams Through Chaos – The WHAT and WHO – You can view it at: https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_coaching_teams_through_chaos
Collaboration has been a HUGE theme of 2022, especially with the return to office, and many CEOs eschewing that collaboration can only take place in-person. AS the CEO of an 18 year old virtual business I feel that collaboration can take place ANYWHERE, as long as we are intentional about it. Collaboration doesn’t just happen. It takes time, conversation and INTENTION.
With this in mind, I thought it would be valuable to check out Day 55 of the 90-Day Guide for Success, which focuses on Collaboration. Here’s what I wrote:
Focus Question:
Where can partnering or collaboration support you in creating a better product or delivering a better service?
WHAT?
As a solopreneur, we may hold a myth that “I need to do it all alone.” While you may be choosing to run a solopreneur company, it may not mean that you have to do everything alone. Maybe you are building a team of part-time or full-time workers or are looking to bring different people onboard as subcontractors for specific projects. Regardless, being able to build your team is critical.
The benefit of collaboration is that 1 + 1 = 3. Translation: we are able to create more by working together than by working alone.
At the heart of collaboration are the following behaviors:
- Trust
- Candor
- Connection
- Flexibility
- Self-awareness
- Working across differences
- Relationship development
As you grow your team, key themes to explore include:
- What do you want to delegate, and to whom? Check out posts on the Teams365 blog on delegation for additional inspiration and information on this topic.
- What does grow your team mean? Is it a full-time, part-time, or subcontractor role?
- What type of support do you need? Spend time today making a list of everything you need.
SO WHAT?
Just like many other activities in the remote space, it can be important to plan for your collaboration. You will want to set intentional meetings before, during, and afterwards to discuss some of the questions you’ll find in the text box.
As a team we also need to collaborate—with each other and across our team, as well as with others outside of the team.
Consider these questions:
- What do we need in order to excel?
- What will help us be at our best?
- What is going to be the major challenge for the year ahead? The major opportunity?
- What development opportunities do we want to build in (retreats, team coaching, mentoring etc.)?
- What requests do I need to make of you right now?
- How will we measure our success?
And, as a bonus:
- What will help to expedite or magnify what’s working?
(EXCERPT: Jennifer Britton, 90-Day Guide for Success, 2021, Pages 326-327, All Rights Reserved).
Enjoy the reflection and the conversations!
Jennifer
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
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