Be Among The Leaders Who Know How To Collaborate

  "The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other." 

  Thomas Stallkamp 

The ability to collaborate means to create a win/win situation for you and the other persons involved. Unlike competition that creates a win/lose outcome or compromise which creates a somewhat lose/lose outcome, collaboration's intent is to listen thoroughly to all sides and create a solution where everyone's needs are met.

I am sure by now you may be thinking this could take forever! Well, you are right in that it takes a great deal of time and energy to reach this kind of solution but the long term payback is excellent. If through your collaborative efforts, all parties are satisfied, and therefore implementation is easier, your long term results will be sustained.  In addition, collaboration allows you to hear fresh ideas and possibly build stronger relationships by trying those new ideas.

So, how do you begin to solve a problem through collaboration? Ask yourself these three important questions:

1)      How much time do I and the other participants have to resolve this issue?

2)      How are my skills in listening, empathizing and staying open to other's ideas?

3)      How critical is it that the other participants like the final outcome, especially

         as they may be implementing the outcome?

If the issue is critical, everyone has the time, and you have great listening and empathizing skills, you are well on your way.

Oh, and finding a neutral location where a flipchart is available would be a great start to this collaborative process. The people that should be invited into this process are the ones that have the greatest stake in the outcomes produced.

Here are the questions you need to ask and get answers to in order to find a win/win solution:

• What is the situation that confronts us?
• How do we feel about this situation?
• What are the worst outcomes of not confronting this situation? What are the worst outcomes of confronting this situation?
• What are the best outcomes of confronting this situation for all sides?
• What do we need to do to reach these best outcomes? Are we committed to these outcomes?
• When should we get together again to evaluate our process to make sure all sides are getting their needs met?

Collaboration takes time and great facilitation skills as a leader, but the solutions created can be better than you ever imagined.   By following the steps above you will be developing a new way of handling conflict that will put you among the few leaders that can move beyond competition to collaboration.