Collaboration

Leadership, Planning, Teamwork / / By

“Without a culture of collaboration, the best processes, systems, tools, and leadership strategies fall flat.” – Evan Rosen

Effective collaboration is not really a technic or approach. It is a culture and climate in which people feel empowered to act, share, learn and engage.

Nothing kills collaboration faster than command and control leaders and star based cultures. For collaboration to be effective it must cultivate a sharing partnership culture.

Paul says it this way in Romans 12:3-5,

“Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” NLT

A few cultural elements of collaboration adapted from Evan Rosen are:

  1. Trust: developing comfort with colleagues
  2. Sharing: letting ideas flow and grow
  3. Goals: reading from the same script
  4. Innovation: embracing new approaches
  5. Anticipation: making room for the unexpected
  6. Honesty: willingness for robust dialogue
  7. Community: sharing interests and goals
  8. Appreciation: recognizing the value and contribution of others
  9. Partnership: the priesthood of believers in practice

Reflection questions:

  1. How could your church or organization develop a culture of collaboration?
  2. What could you do to develop a culture of collaboration?