Creating Solutions Through Collaboration

Creating Solutions Through Collaboration

by Lori Perry, Senior Director of Operations

Collaboration means working together to produce solutions by leveraging different perspectives and experiences. SIS encourages collaboration across our various business units to promote innovation, bring together fresh perspectives, and build well-rounded teams.?

As an example, the leadership team of our Operations Division brings together a deep blend of experience from across public safety and the private sector, and is made up of leaders who came up in SIS through different divisions and special departments.?

This diverse experience gives the Operations Division a dynamic, cross-functional perspective when supporting our clients and employees. This orientation results in a greater partnership between Operations and other SIS teams in resolving challenges and developing creative solutions.?

This collaborative spirit has benefitted Operations in such ways as designing innovative roster management tools for field leaders with our HR and Software Solutions partners, working closely with Recruiting and Training teams to expedite hiring and onboarding in a challenged labor market, and working with our cross-divisional counterparts to bring a range of specialized services to our clients such as high-profile event management, risk assessment and intelligence reporting.?

Building collaborative approaches that leverage the expertise of our company’s diverse talent is core to our business. It is an integral part of maintaining the SIS “Wow!”?

Building a Collaborative Culture:?

According to research published in the December 2019 Harvard Business Review, key strategies for fostering sustained collaboration in the workplace include respect for the contributions of colleagues, openness to experimenting with someone else’s ideas and recommendations, and developing an awareness of how our actions impact our co-workers and the mission.?

Based on research and practical experience, techniques recommended for implementing collaborative strategies include:?

Training ourselves and our teams to listen, not talk:?

As a wise person once observed, we have two ears and one mouth, meaning that we should listen more than we speak. When we talk, we only repeat what we already know, but we hear new ideas and perspectives when we listen.?

In the fast-paced modern workplace, we can fall into the conversational trap of waiting to respond rather than listening. We feel an attachment to our own ideas and perspectives, and we may find ourselves waiting to tell others what we think rather than keeping our minds open to what they are saying. Practicing the art of listening and staying focused on others allows us to receive fresh ideas and create space for collaboration.??

Ask expansive questions:?

Organizations that focus on collaboration train managers to curtail bad habits like interrupting and monopolizing conversations and focus on constructive practices like asking expansive questions. Expansive questions focus on “how” and “why” and encourage colleagues to provide details and share their thought processes. This is opposed to yes-no questions that lead to narrow responses and limited dialogue.

Build empathy:?

Empathy is the ability to understand and relate to others. Collaboration is encouraged by understanding another’s perspective. A manager seeking support from a busy colleague in another division would not be well-served by approaching that person with, “Hey, we’re all busy, but I have to get this done!”?

A more empathetic and respectful approach would be to say, “I appreciate that this is a hectic time for you, but we’d benefit from your expertise. Is there a time that you can discuss the project and see how you might be able to participate?”?

Encourage feedback and practice getting comfortable with it:?

Everybody enjoys getting positive feedback for their performance. Negative feedback may not always be enjoyable, but it will be helpful and appreciated if it is constructive. Not providing any input, however, will only be counterproductive.?

In the absence of useful feedback, people often fill in the blanks, making assumptions like their contributions were off the mark or unimportant to the project. This leads to discouragement and disengagement, which undermines collaboration.?

Constructive feedback is respectful and straightforward and focuses on a particular behavior or work product. The feedback should also be specific; a temptation may be to keep things general so that the discussion doesn’t feel too pointed, but vague feedback will usually not have a meaningful impact.?

Giving and receiving timely feedback is a crucial skill for collaborative leaders. Training ourselves to be comfortable with providing and seeking constructive 360-degree input from all stakeholders helps build the engagement required for collaborative innovation.?

As we continue to provide industry-leading service and support to our clients and employees, SIS Operations is committed to building upon its collaborative culture and applying the best ideas, perspectives, and shared solutions to SIS’s future.

Lori Perry-Morrow has more than 25 years of corporate and contract security experience. She joined Security Industry Specialists in our Special Operations Division as Director, Special Events in December 2014, and has served as Senior Director of Operations since February of 2021. In this role, she has found her passion in delivering the SIS “WOW” to our clients’ most vital security needs.

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