May Leadership Insights ??

We know collaboration is important. We talk about it all the time.? It’s a critical factor in larger more complex organisations, and then when you add a global layer collaboration is a non-negotiable element of getting things done.

We know this.? It’s nothing new.? And yet we still find it one of the hardest things to achieve.? Genuine, unadulterated, collaboration.

In this newsletter we will dive into collaboration and hopefully spark some ideas for what you can be doing to enhance collaboration in your organisation.

Three things to know about enhancing collaboration

It’s part systemic, part strategic, part leader-led, part cultural

And therein lies the challenge because we often tackle one or maybe two of these elements when thinking about how to improve collaboration without realising it needs all these levers being pulled.? Why lean on leaders to enable and lead better collaboration if the supporting systems and governance is working against them? A common example of this s when we see the senior-most leaders of the organisation with siloed or competing KPI’s and objectives. Where is the motivation to achieve together? Rarely do you see leaders incentivised to achieve a collaborative outcome.??

To get you started on evaluating the extent of collaborative enablement in your organisation, reflect on the questions shown below.? We have aligned them against the different layers of the Ponte Valle Matrix Maturity Model because, quite simply, the most successful matrix and complex organisations tend to have their head around these questions:

Be clear on what you want from others.

We are all busy.? We have full diaries and never seem to have enough time to get everything done in a day.? So if you want assistance from another person or a team, be clear on what you want, why you want it and when. People and teams generally don’t mind contributing and helping out; but it’s harder to make the time if we don’t have the answers to these questions.

Collaboration happens differently in different cultures.

Everything from the initial steps of gaining consent or involvement from a team or individuals in another country through to how we actually do the work will often be perceived differently by different cultures.? Don’t assume that collaboration happens the same everywhere. Take the time to understand how you proceed with a hierarchical culture (eg, Asian countries) versus a more egalitarian culture (eg, Anglo cultures). Or how much detail and planning you need to undertake to ensure a level of comfort in countries like Japan or Germany versus China or New Zealand.?

Two things from us:

1.? Collaboration Livestream Event

Tune into our next Leadership Break Livestream:

Enabling Collaboration: Strategies for Leaders to Drive Win-Win Results

David Morley will be joined by April Symko - Capability Lead at Wollongong City Council and Phillip Chain - Business Unit Head ANZ Oncology - Medison Pharma to explore strategies for lifting the level of collaboration in your organisation.

?? Click here for more information and to register: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/enablingcollaboration-strategie7193404500085280768/theater/

2. Explore our range of Collaborative Leadership programs

We see collaboration as more than a concept; it's a strategic imperative for success. We specialise in providing tailored services that empower leaders and teams to collaborate seamlessly, unlocking collective potential, and achieving shared victories. Our Winning Together methodology has evolved over 20 years, and underpins our approach to project and team charters, global teaming initiatives, team conflict resolution and collaborative leadership development.?

?? Learn more about our services here: https://pontevalle.com/services/collaboration-teaming/?

One Thing to Remember:

“When it comes to collaboration, let go of any thoughts of ‘winning over’ –?aim for ‘working with’ or even better?–?‘winning with’.”?

David Morley, taken from https://pontevalle.com/2014/09/01/enabling-collaboration/?