Collaboration is all the rage. And for good reason. It allows for a meeting of the minds, buy-in from those sitting at the table and an opportunity to consider diverse perspectives and options that may well contain the best next step. However collaboration is not a cure-all. More cooks in the kitchen doesn’t always make the sauce taste better. It can be time-consuming, inefficient and depending on how it’s facilitated it can simply reflect group-think. At a later date I’ll address “The 6 Keys to Great Collaboration”, but for now here’s when to use it and when not to use it:
When to use it:
- To find a solution to address an ongoing challenging issue
- To consider the pros and cons of moving forward on an opportunity
- Beginning of a project – scope, roles, SMART goals, general timeline, desired results
- When you need agreement, buy-in and support to have success on moving forward
- When you really want input, ideas, suggestions and feedback on a topic that’s central to the viability/improvement of the company
- Big picture thinking, consideration of major changes to the company – identity, service/product mix, significant growth, merger, acquisition
When not to use it:
- To garner agreement or approval on a decision that’s already been made
- Issues around safety
- Issues around ethics – just do the right thing, period. No discussion needed.
- Decisions that require urgent action
- Financial issues that are critical to the viability of the company
- Detailed or logistics intensive planning (instead have one person propose a plan of action and garner input on the viability of the plan)
- Small decisions
