How Well Do You Collaborate?

In my last post, I talked about the pitfalls of over-competing.  I shared how I try to adjust the level of my play at Pickleball (or Tennis, or anything competitive) to the people I’m playing with.

 

This morning I started out playing in a foursome who were significantly below the level at which I’m capable of playing.  I thought to myself, “Uh oh, I’d better really live up to what I just wrote!”

 

So I set out to avoid slamming the ball back when I was given juicy opportunities to do so, and instead worked on placing it well.  I initiated or continued extended rounds of dinking.  I worked on techniques at which I would like to get better.

 

What do you think happened?

 

We had a long game, and when we were done, everyone said what a good game it was and how much they enjoyed it.  I enjoyed it, too.

 

Towards the end of the session, I was playing with a group that was much more of a challenge, and I played harder.

 

And guess what?  I think I actually played better – the earlier games had served as an extended warm-up, working on skills and technique that I could then apply better.

 

Now think about situations in work or your business where you need to work with someone else who perhaps isn’t on your level.  You have your areas of expertise, and they have theirs.  And sometimes theirs are not as ‘expert’ as you would like.  What do you do?

 

Do you grouse about the situation, and seek to go around them or have them replaced on the project, or simply take on the work they were supposed to do?  And when you’re done, do you present the results as a true collaboration, or seek to make sure it’s known how much of the work you did?

 

That can be a natural reaction, but what might happen if you instead collaborated with them, helping them to increase their expertise in that area? And then still presented the work as a joint effort by equals.

 

There’s a good chance you might create a fan, someone who’s willing to go the extra mile to help you with something in the future.  At the same time, you’re helping them increase their abilities and value, so that when you (or anyone else) need help in the future they will be better equipped to provide it.

 

You may also find you enjoy the collaboration!

 

I had a full time consulting gig with a company for five years.  Even though I was a consultant, many people were surprised to find I wasn’t an employee.  A couple of years after I started my Job Search Strategy business, they approached me about coming back to help them with something.  It was just a small job I could fit around my coaching, so I said “Sure.”

 

I ended up uncovering a serious problem they needed to address.  I flew down to present my findings, so that they could then put together a team to take care of it.  On the way out, I was asked if I would come down and project manage the team.  I said “No.”

 

My contact then said, “That’s what I thought.  So how much time will you give us?”

 

I hadn’t even considered that.  So I found myself with a lucrative side-gig to my coaching practice.

 

Almost immediately, I remembered how much I enjoyed the people I had worked with, because it was a very collaborative atmosphere.  People really enjoyed working with each other, and when I would go down for project meetings, we would usually get together for dinner.  When something went wrong, no one sought to parcel out blame, we just looked for how we could address it and move forward.

 

As a result, even though I had already moved in a different direction with my career, and would not have considered taking on such an assignment with another employer, I continued to do part-time consulting for them for many years.

 

That’s the potential power of collaboration.