Are You a Value Driven Collaborator?

I once was the person that went to meetings wondering what role I would play. How could I ensure I said things that seemed highly valuable? In other words, I might have considered how would I emerge as the knowledgeable and important person in the room.

I also have known myself to be the person that grudgingly attends meetings. I have found myself complaining right alongside others walking down the hall to the meeting, "I hope this meeting doesn't last long..." I would leave the meeting thinking, "Well, that was pointless." Have you not been in this very situation?

But why? Why do we approach collaboration and meetings with our peers in such an egocentric way? The truth is that, even when want to be others-focused, we want to know that we are valuable in an organization. We want to, in the words of Simon Sinek, feel a sense of belonging and importance. We want to believe that we've made a great impact on others (and if we're honest, we kind of want to be recognized for it). But if we truly want to add value and make an impact, we have to make the shift from "me" to "we". This means we need to strive to become VALUE-DRIVEN COLLABORATORS.

You see, #valuedriven #collaborators make it possible for people to come around common visions and goals. Value-driven collaborators help people remain focused on a meeting's purpose and outcomes. Value-driven collaborators empower others, inspire others, and build a sense of collective efficacy in their organization. These are the people that not only feel a sense of belonging themselves, but they create that same sense of belonging for others. But guess what... like most things that are worthwhile, it's easier said than done!

It's easier said than done because sometimes we own and lead a meeting, and sometimes we do not. Both scenarios can present unique situations that we have to face as courageous leaders with the intent to unleash our impact, which is to say we are focusing on how we influence OTHERS. Practically speaking, what does this look like in meetings and collaborative settings? I created this flowchart specifically for this reason- to provide a visual that points us in a direction of practical steps to build a #cultureofcollaboration.

What I believe it all boils down to is identifying our #vision and #values, as well as understanding and respecting the vision and values of others. For ourselves, we have to take concrete steps to get clear on our vision and values. We then have to consider how to bring clarity to that vision so that others understand our cause and have something to believe in. What is this meeting or collaborative opportunity all about in the first place? If we haven't been clear on that as the leader of the meeting, then we set ourselves and our peers up to recite the all familiar phrase, "This was pointless."

For other leaders and owners of meetings, we have to decide how we're going to show that we understand and respect their values, even when they haven't gotten clear on their own vision and values. We can be the courageous leader that helps everyone shift from a "me to we" mindset. If you can be the person that takes the time to analyze, question, and paraphrase the leader, then you are ten steps ahead of everyone else. You are ready to make the moves that help the leader lead well and help the people follow with a sense of purpose, belonging, and empowerment. How? Because you're the person bringing clarity to the vision. And people will follow clarity above anything else.

So, are you a value-driven collaborator? Have you gotten clear on your own vision and values? Are you communicating that vision and those values intentionally through both word and deed? Have you taken time to understand and respect the vision and values of other leaders? Are you adding value to them and rallying people around their cause? My charge to you is to make the shift from "me" to "we" and strive to become a value-driven collaborator among your teams. People deserve to be part of a team that collaborates well and leaves them feeling valued, inspired, and empowered.

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