When most people think of collaboration in the workplace, they likely think of coworkers coming together to brainstorm ideas or work on a project. While this type of collaboration is certainly important, there’s another type of collaboration that can be just as valuable – finding a shared understanding of WHY we do what we do in the workplace.
The work I do with teams is transformational because it gets to the root of how you communicate with each other, how that plays out in your shared goals, and what that means for your organization.
We start this exploration by using the powerful WHY.os discovery tool. If you’ve done an assessment such as the DISC, Kolbe-A, or even the enneagram (and chances are you have!), you know how powerful it is to get this type of objective data about yourself. But what makes the WHY.os discovery algorithm different is that it goes beyond understanding how you tick. We discover WHY you do what you do. We actually dive into how this impacts the organization as a whole. It is the optimal place to first step when it comes to team collaboration.
For example, I recently held a Team WHY.os training with the executive team at Fayetteville Academy. When I was following up with their Head of School Ray Quesnel about how things are going following the workshop, he shared how the training had a positive impact on the school. He’s noticed richer relationships amongst the team and felt their work was more unified and productive.
As I was diving deeper into what the team has learned, Ray shared a breakthrough he had with their CFO Jim. Recently, the two were working together on a challenging project. They were struggling to find the right approach to the situation. Ray’s WHY is trust, which means he’s deeply motivated by forming deep relationships built on loyalty and a shared sense of purpose. Knowing this, Jim looked at Ray in a moment of insight and said, “Oh that’s right…you trust people.” They shared a laugh, but it also helped them identify and leverage a deeper understanding of their distinct perspectives. That insight provided a spark that propelled them to the right approach for the challenge they were addressing.
The premise of these team events seems so simple – we find out what motivates us, how we best function in the workplace, and what we bring to the table. However, most of the organizations I work with are so caught up in serving others that they don’t take the time to build relationships and leadership capabilities within their teams. Discovering WHY they do what they do significantly deepens their relationships and expands their leadership skills.
I’d love to hear about the methods you use to encourage team collaboration. How do you make teamwork more effective? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced when trying to foster this in your organization? Do you know WHY the members of your team do what they do?