Gratton, Lynda, & Erickson, Tamara J. (2007, November). Eight ways to build collaborative
teams. Harvard Business Review, 85(11), 100-109.
The need for disparate team members across industry to come together quickly in order to solve complex problems is a common occurrence, but these characteristics are often those that make effective team collaboration difficult. Members of complex, virtual, and diverse teams are less likely to be cooperative and collaborate, than those that are less complete, in-person, and perceived as similar. Over 100 factors were considered across 55 teams were studied to understand strategies for effective collaboration in complex environments. Executives can help shape effective collaborative practice by investing in infrastructure that promotes relationship building both in-person and virtually, by modeling collaborative behavior themselves, and by supporting mentorship practices that are integrated into daily activities. HR can contribute to a collaborative team environment by offering the opportunity to gain skills through training and by encouraging a sense of community through affinity groups (identity, hobby, etc.). These teams need leaders who excel in both task and relationship skills, and are spurred forward if “heritage” relationships, or team members who were previously connected, are included on the team, not only new members. Finally, collaboration increases when individual team members have clear roles and their route to accomplishing their goal is ambiguous. Balancing both long term relationship and infrastructure investments and short term decision making will help organizations and their leadership create environments for collaborative teams to thrive.
This article and its research helped me to think of ways to build effective collaborative practices into my geographically remote team-based work. It affirmed some of my existing strategies, like a focus on relationship building, and provided insight into ways to enhance what already works, like connecting team members to skills training and others with shared interests.
LO3: address complex challenges by collaboratively leading teams across disciplines, distances, and sectors.
LO4: apply communication-centered scholarship to strengthen communication effectiveness.
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