Crises like epidemics highlight the importance of effective collaboration for long term success. Organizations need to gather experts with cross-functional perspectives to solve rapidly changing complex problems. The diversity of experience allows different perspectives to the same problem so that it can generate new solutions and adapt to the situation.
However, the crisis makes people risk-averse due to their anxiety and fall back on tried and tested solutions that have worked out in the past. this is called "threat rigidity". They do not lookout for new solutions and desire to bring the situation under control quickly. Self-preservation becomes the focus as the resources dry up. This results in the breakdown of collaboration.
Research shows that people who collaborate during a crisis do better than the people who reduce their collaboration efforts and prefer to go it alone during a crisis. Further analysis reveals the following insight.
As uncertainty increases during a crisis, Collaborating people evolved their approach to developing work and execution. They expanded their reach across functional and industry barriers. They were willing to help out in others' projects. They teamed up with trusted colleagues to identify and pursue new opportunities even if it meant less personal benefit. Thus they got the experience in a wide variety of projects or clients and spread their bets on different opportunities.
The self-focussed took a different approach. They erected walls around their projects, pushed colleagues away, hoarded their work. As a result, their network diminished. They had no one to help them in existing projects nor anyone to identify new opportunities.
The following points help promote collaboration
Encourage constructive challenge
Ask questions of challenge assumptions. This is called "obligation to dissent". It should be accepted that people challenge each others' assumptions and offer new ideas. Noone should feel foolish by asking teammates to explain their thinking or define a technical term Involving people with different skills can help the group see the potential risks or solutions that would escape the experts.
Watch out for hoarding behaviors
Look out for data sources that would show you the behavioral pattern inside the organization. There are quite a few places where the data can show the collaboration patterns.
Even otherwise, a quick pulse survey to capture peoples' self-reported actions. This can be a simple 3-5 questions with a rating scale of a fixed set of choices to questions. this would help in identifying the hoarding behaviors and take remedial action before it takes deep root.
Connect with front line members
Make direct contact with the front line to get unfiltered information about peoples' actions and states of mind. This can help understand how employees are coping, identify areas where risks of going it alone behaviors are more likely and establish links so that they can better support each other.
Reinforce the business's purpose and goals frequently.
A belief that their work fulfills a higher objective motivates people to be more open to collaboration. It helps people to see how they are contributing to the complex needs of the business. Leaders need to reduce uncertainty and boost the confidence of employees.
Get team members to reflect on preferred ways of working
When you are under stress you are more likely to retreat to your comfort zone, so it is most natural that you think of actions that come naturally to you. Ask your colleagues what they have observed you do when stressed. As you become aware of this you can work out how to use these tendencies to work more effectively in the group.
Wok to your strengths
Rather than trying to change your natural tendencies, focus on consciously using it to improve collaboration. If you are a team person, build the team's confidence by highlighting their expertise and using their knowledge to achieve team goals and sharing team-based success stories.
If you tend to work independently, use it to help drive execution, and improve teamwork. leaders should recognize that it does not take a single person o drive collaboration. They need to draw upon a diversity of behavioral styles and coach them to play their part in boosting cross-silo working.
Champion collaborative leaders and teams.
Leaders while recognizing the individual performance, must acknowledge the team that helped make the person a hero by calling out specific actions it took to provide support and the ways all of its members accomplished the goal together.
Leaders must examine and address organizational structures like compensation, incentive systems, and hiring systems to see whether they support or undermine a culture of collaboration.
7 Strategies for Promoting Collaboration in a Crisis
by Heidi K. Gardner and Ivan Matviak HBR July 08, 2020
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