Our beliefs about how we feel we need to "show up" for others can cause extreme collaborative demands and burnout.  For example, a desire to help others can lead us to jump into a project. Fear can prevent us from saying no to a collaborative request we are unable to do. Guarding against common beliefs will help you reclaim your time and refocus your contributions where they can add the most value.

The exessive need to collaborate with others

Research found that collaborating more purposefully can increase efficiency by 18 - 24%. Three categories of behaviours can increase purposeful collaboration:<ul><li>Identifying and challenging beliefs that drive us to collaborate too soon. The need or fear to "show up" for others account for 50% or more of the overall problem.</li><li>Adding structure to our work can prevent unproductive collaboration.</li><li>Changing our behaviours can create more efficient collaboration.</li></ul>

Reducing collaborative overload

Helping gives us a sense of purpose and fulfils a deep need to be useful. But if we jump in too quickly or too often or solve others' problems without building their capability, we become the regular go-to for requests. <ul><li>Be clear on your priorities and get comfortable saying "no".</li><li>When you do jump in, don't solve people's problems directly. Instead, connect them to the right people, point them to the resources they need, or coach them to solve the problem.</li></ul>

"My desire to help others"

The satisfaction you get from doing something can be addictive and detract from focusing your energy on where you add the most value. Avoid routine and often mindless activities that give you a sugar rush for accomplishment's sake. For example, going through all your email rather than using that time for more taxing work.

“My sense of fulfillment from accomplishment"

The desire to influence others and be recognized can drive excessive collaborative demands back to you. Expertise can become a trap of its own: Focusing on your own can prevent you from developing it in other people. Don't look for status in your expertise. Be mindful of the ways you comment in meetings or email threads that make people believe they need to defer to you or get your input.

"My desire to be influential or recognized for my expertise"

Worrying about being labelled a poor performer makes it impossible to say "no" to a request. Don't think saying "no" is your only option. Offer choices, such as "What order would you like me to do these?" Create transparency in the volume of demands you are already facing, then discuss the real needs. See if you can accomplish the request in a different way.

“My concern with being labeled a poor performer"

The need to be correct creates unproductive activities, pushing people to spend hours preparing for meetings, writing perfect emails, and creating excess work for others. Instead, admit that you don't know the exact answer but are willing to quickly find out. Being open about your limits and having the courage to ask questions reduces unproductive activities.

“My need to be right"

Your need for control keeps you from delegating tasks or connecting people. In turn, team members feel that their autonomy has been diminished. Draw a line between high-risk tasks that really require your expertise and lower-risk work you can delegate. Build capability in others to free up time to engage in greater value. Don't point out how you would have done it differently. Instead, celebrate others' solutions.

“Fear of losing control of a project/a belief that I am the most capable person"

Overemphasising completeness for completeness's sake creates unnecessary stress for your team members and drives them to chase the wrong objectives. Remind yourself that an empty email inbox or closure should not be a high priority. Put off non-priority work or requests or leave it all together.

“My need for closure results in communications that create unnecessary work "

Feeling discomfort with ambiguity makes you feel that you don't have enough information, a clear-enough process, or a clear plan. Consequently, you always search for more data, processes and strategy that consumes hours of your time. Instead, be open to adapting ideas and plans as new information comes in. Then, instead of spending hours on getting the most accurate solution, look for a productive solution in 20 minutes to help you move ahead.

“My discomfort with ambiguity and managing adaptation as a project unfolds"

FOMO can drive unproductive choices, like jumping into new collaborative projects. You may end up in projects where you feel overburdened and that are not well aligned with what you want from your career. Ensure your emotions don't drive your plans. Cultivate relationships with people who know you well and ask them to help you avoid making a decision based on FOMO.

“FOMO drives me to engage in collaborative work"

Stashed ideas

Where We Go Wrong with Collaboration

Tuckman’s model explains the different stages that teams go through until they transform into high-performance teams. The model helps you understand your teams and have a better knowledge of how to help and support them.

Developing teams with Tuckman’s model

<ul><li>Childhood. Children need lots of accompaniment and support.</li><li>Adolescence is a period of change and conflict in the physical area as well as attitude and behaviour. The need to find an identity is also highlighted.</li><li>Young adulthood. Young adults work to become independent from their parents. They take responsibility for themselves and make their own decisions.</li><li>Middle adulthood. People have gained experience and are better prepared to handle the stresses of life.</li><li>Late adulthood. It’s a stage of acceptance of a more leisurely and relaxed life.</li></ul>

Comparing Tuckman’s model to the periods of human development

<ol><li>Forming stage. It is similar to the childhood stage. Teams just formed and don't know each other, not have an understanding of the purpose of the team.</li><li>Storming. This stage is similar to the adolescence stage. Teams will consolidate interpersonal relationships.</li><li>Norming is similar to young adulthood. Understanding and cohesion form.</li><li>Performing is similar to the stage of middle adulthood. This is when the team are high-performing.</li><li>Adjourning, compared to late adulthood, is the stage when high-performance teams reached their missions and must disband.</li></ol>

Tuckmna's stages of team development

The team is just formed, so the team members don't know each other and don't have a clear understanding of the purpose and vision of the team. The Role of the Leader in the Forming StageThe key is to guide the team, develop working agreements, and set the direction to follow. Management 3.0 comes in during the forming stage<ul><li>Personal Maps: Increase trust and connections with the team.</li><li>Work profile: Think about job titles not as a specific role but as the value they add.</li><li>Identity symbols: Give a sense of belonging to the team by defining their name and image.</li></ul>

First Stage: Forming

Different members start losing shyness and begin to express their characteristics and points of view. Conflicts are healthy, but the team need to work on them. The Role of the Leader The leader will coach the team, encouraging the participation of the different workers but within the boundaries of a climate of dialogue and assertiveness. Management 3.0<ul><li>Diversity Index: Understands the importance of diversity.</li><li>Feedback Wrap: Creates a healthy culture through constructive feedback.</li><li>Happiness Door: A tool for teams to express their opinions.</li><li>Value Stories: Guides the team to find team values.</li></ul>

Second Stage: Storming

Conflict gives way to understanding and cohesion. The Role of the LeaderGood harmony allows the leader to take a step back and act as a facilitator. Management 3.0 practices<ul><li>Celebration Grid: Talk about the different experiments and what the team learned about them.</li><li>Moving Motivators: Understand individual and team intrinsic motivators.</li><li>Team Competency Matrix: Find the competency gaps the team needs to reach their goals.</li><li>Team Decision Matrix: Help the team consider how they will make their daily decisions.</li><li>Steps to Happiness: Connects the work with the team's happiness.</li></ul>

Third Stage: Norming

This a high-performance team, capable of carrying out their tasks with a great degree of autonomy and an excellent level of effectiveness <h4>The Role of the Leader</h4>Delegating tasks and responsibilities, and transferring trust and respect. Management 3.0 practices<ul><li>Change Management Game: How the team will face the changes they are involved in.</li><li>Delegation Poker: Agree with the team on how tasks and responsibilities will be delegated.</li><li>Kudos: Congratulate and recognize everyone’s good job.</li><li>Niko-Niko Calendar: Visualize how everyone is and their mood.</li></ul>

Fourth Stage: Performing

High-performance teams must disband because they have fully fulfilled their mission. <h4>The Role of the Leader</h4>Celebrate the team’s achievements to reinforce the professionals’ sense of pride and satisfaction and instil motivation for future assignments. Management 3.0 toolsKudos: Take a moment to recognize and thank the different team members for their actions.

Fifth Stage: Adjourning

A model for analysing your teams and detecting different behaviours and patterns.

What is the Tuckman model referring to, what are the various stages of team development? Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing explained

Tuckman model: Stages of team development

Over the last 18 months, companies have wrestled with extraordinary change and disruption. One challenge is employees that want to work in a hybrid environment. Deloitte reported that 68 percent of executives surveyed are implementing a combination of physical workspaces and remote work.  This new normal means that the need is far greater to develop a collaborative culture that keeps workforces motivated, connected and creative.

Developing a collaborative culture

Be deliberate in creating a collaborative culture. Give it the same priority as the elevator pitch. Find input from other CEOs, mentors, and employees. Make the words that describe the company culture a mantra and use it with every audience - employees, customers, investors, and the public.

Give culture a voice

People build connections by doing things together. Employees that are engaged are excited, enthusiastic, and involved in the success and direction of the company.  The hybrid work norms depend on new models of engagement. For example, investing in faster internet, unrestricted video conferencing, larger high-resolution monitors, better headsets, higher quality cameras and tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, Zoom etc.

Use expanded models of engagement

Consider how to connect with the newest employees in your organisation to make them feel part of the culture and the team. Start with the cultural conversation.<ul><li>Tell them what collaboration means and create opportunities for new hires to share and discuss work with longer-term employees. </li><li>Assign each new hire a mentor and make mentoring part of that person's job.</li><li>Encourage teams to come into the office on the same days.</li><li>Help new hires understand where they fit into the organisation.</li><li>Be honest about the tradeoffs of in-office and remote work.</li></ul>

Make new hires 'sticky'

Collaborative cultures succeed when each employee has some opportunity to do what they do best and work with other teams toward common goals. Over the last 18 months, many employees dealt with the added challenges of schooling and childcare. Friction may exist among co-workers on issues. Therefore employees need encouragement to find common ground and connect with work friends.

Anticipate speed-bumps

<ul><li>The customer is the best reason for collaboration. Working together cross-functionally can provide the opportunity to solve a problem for a particular customer.</li><li>Invite employees to join in solving a problem they didn't cause. Completing tasks together encourages collaboration.</li></ul>

Customers can be the rallying cry

In the collaborative culture, the purpose of conducting meetings is for open and honest dialogue. Every person in the organisation will impact cultural collaboration as they commit to listening and actively considering all points of view.

Collaboration ≠ compromise

Engaged employees are excited, enthusiastic, and involved not only in their direct responsibilities but in the success and direction of the entire company.

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