Collaboration is a hot topic in education for teachers and especially students. We know that collaboration means when two or more people are working together on an idea, but there are times when ‘working together’ doesn’t equal effective collaboration.
Think ‘group projects’. Yes, technically you are collaborating and working together to create something, but does everyone pull their weight equally? Is the collaboration one sided?
According to Ring Central blog, there are six principles to effective collaboration: efficiancy, trust, empathy, positivity, clarity, and accountability (2022).
- Efficiency: There’s been plenty of times I’ve gone into a PLC meeting and it turned into a venting session. Before you know it, the time is up and you’ve gotten nothing accomplished towards your planning or goals. In order to collaborate effectively, we must be efficient with our time. Use an agenda for meetings or have a plan in place for when the conversation is sidetracked.
- Trust: Having a place where you feel safe to share your ideas without being judged or turned down.
- Empathy: Be respectful of those in your collaboration group.
- Positivity: If there is a bump in the road, shake it off. Stay positive and get your team back on track.
- Clarity: Everyone must be on the same page to collaborate effectively. Knowing each person’s priorities and goals upfront will help guide the collaboration discussions.
- Accountability: Knowing how your actions can affect the rest of the groups is key. Hold yourself and each other accountable.
Reference:
Vogel, K. (2022, March 22). The 6 keys to effective collaboration in the Workplace. RingCentral. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/collaboration-in-the-workplace/