Creating a culture of Insightful Collaboration
There is no shortage of literature on how to embed a culture of collaboration into your team or organisation. Yet many organisations struggle to sustain effective collaboration. Why? Because we invest more in the tools for collaboration than in the development of the human skills required to support it.
In her recent article 'Cracking the Code of Sustained Collaboration', Francesca Gino, award winning expert on the psychology of organisations and Professor at Harvard Business School, says the core of the issue is "Leaders trying to create collaborative cultures tend to focus on instilling the right values or designing the right space. They overlook the fact that collaboration requires certain skills".
Similarly, crowdsourcing requires many of these interactive skills, without them we limit our ability to capitalise on the innovation and collaboration opportunities it promises. So how do we develop them? Read on as we unpack Professor Gino's training tools for cultivating the mental attitudes necessary for effective collaboration and/or crowdsourcing.
Create space for effective collaboration
1. Forgo the ego (Teach people to listen, not talk)
When you join Mindhive one of the first things we ask is 'What are you curious about?' The purpose of this question, is twofold. Firstly, it helps the community learn more about the person behind the title. Secondly, it sets the intention for your Mindhive experience. We're looking for insightful collaborators, those actively seeking new insights and opportunities for co-creation, not just a platform to share their ideas.
Gino's Insight: Ask expansive questions and focus on "suppressing the urge to dominate a conversation, make it about yourself, or solve your conversation partner's problems... instead concentrating on the implications of their words."
2. Suspend Judgement (Train people to practice empathy)
Digital tools create greater opportunity for collaboration through ease of access and technical functionality, but they can decrease our capacity for empathy, a critical skill for effective collaboration. We need to avoid the pattern of behaviour created an echo chamber that reinforces individual perspectives while reducing our desire to understand different viewpoints.
Constructive conversations are built on respect. At Mindhive we try to speak with 'Considered Clarity' at all times. One of the core pillars of which is to be respectful of other's time, intellect and situation. Do this by asking questions, empathise so you can understand the other person's state of mind. Help others to develop the quality of their thinking, encourage them to think expansively and unlock blockers that
Gino's Insight: "In successful collaborations, judgement gives way to curiosity, and people come to see that other perspectives are as valuable as theirs."
Get the most from the collaboration
3. Be open (Make people comfortable with feedback)
Humans are not as good at giving and receiving feedback as we think. The best way to overcome this is to practice giving and receiving it more regularly and in a way that fuels collaboration.
At Mindhive, the second aspect of speaking with 'Considered Clarity' is to be pointed. Be efficient with your words, get to the point quickly while being respectful. Whether you're responding to a post or giving feedback to someone in your team, say it with confidence and clarity - own your opinion.
Gino's Insight: "At Pixar and other organisations, employees are asked to follow three rules for feedback: Be straightforward in both how you address a person and what you say about him or her; identify the particular behaviour that worked (or didn’t); and describe the impact of the behaviour on you and others. These practices help counteract a common problem: People’s feedback is too general."
4. Start flexing (Teach people to lead and follow)
We talk about flattening the hierarchy to allow for a more leaderful organisation, but for this to work you need to also be adept at 'flexing' between leader and follower.
Which brings us back to Mindhive's opening question 'what are you curious about'. To flex we must first be humble, to trust and respect that others can lead the discussion or project to a positive outcome. This is the cornerstone of crowdsourcing, ceding control and respecting that the best answers can come from the unexpected places.
Gino's Insight: "In interviews at American Express, I learned that the company’s best collaborators—those known for adding value to interactions and solving problems in ways that left everyone better off—are adept at both leading and following, moving smoothly between the two as appropriate. That is, they’re good at flexing"
5. Cut to the chase (Speak with clarity and avoid abstractions)
When you lead a discussion on Mindhive, you invite your network and the broader community to talk openly about a question. Once the free flow of ideas has slowed, you map key insights by highlighting and categorising them. This process of moving from discussion to ideation is critical as it shifts the mindset from general abstract thought to more direct, purpose oriented conversation around specific insights.
Gino's Insight: "When we communicate with others, psychological research shows, we are often too indirect and abstract. Our words would carry more weight if we were more concrete and provided vivid images of goals. And our statements would also be judged more truthful."
6. Know the goal (Train people to have win-win interactions)
To get maximum engagement and to achieve positive outcomes in collaborative projects we need to understand just what it is each partner is hoping to get from the exchange. Being transparent creates trust, it allows us to focus on mutually beneficial opportunities that will see both parties come away with a win.
Gino's insight: "By balancing talking (to express your own concerns and needs) with asking questions and letting others know what your understanding of their needs is, you can devise solutions that create more value. With a win-win mindset, collaborators are able to find opportunities in differences."
In conclusion
At the heart of crowdsourcing is the knowledge that the whole (our collective wisdom) is greater than the sum of its parts (our individual wisdom). Crowdsourcing and collaboration offers a fast track to new opportunities for innovation and growth - we just need to develop the skills to sustain it.
"Leaders who are frustrated by a lack of collaboration can start by asking themselves a simple question: What have they done to encourage it today? It is only by regularly owning their own mistakes, listening actively and supportively to people’s ideas, and being respectful but direct when challenging others’ views and behaviour that they can encourage lasting collaboration."
Product Community
Join the Mindhive Product Community for development updates and become part of the Product Team to help shape Mindhive.
Next steps
Mindhive is a platform that facilitates discussion on topics that affect you – and what we can do about it.
Join a discussion and lend your voice
Mindhive is used in research, government, community groups and consultancies to canvas a wide spectrum of voices to surface sentiment, insight, and the unexpected.