Collaboration is a key component in non-profit work where resources are limited and challenges are many. Creating or fostering a collaborative environment—where teams can thrive—hinges on six basic principles.
1. Having a Common Purpose and Goal – Teams are a group of people working toward a common goal, without which there would be no need for the team. In order to create a common goal, you need to review the purpose of the team, allow all members to express commitment, and use the common purpose to prioritize actions of the team.
2. Trust Your Team Members – In order to be successful as a team, you must establish trust. Be honest, try to eliminate conflicts of interest, avoid gossip, give the benefit of the doubt, and learn to trust first in order for someone to trust you.
3. Clarify Roles – If everyone understands their individual roles and responsibilities, it can create efficiency and flexibility. Some tips include: reviewing roles frequently, relate expectations to overall purpose, learn what others do on the team, and help each other.
4. Communicate - Open and effective communication avoids hard feelings and won’t undermine the success of the team. Work on understanding all angles, take responsibility for being heard and understood, clear up misunderstandings quickly and accurately, and recognize the efforts of other team members.
5. Appreciate Diversity – Remember that teams are made of people from many different perspectives and life experiences. Take advantage of this diversity. People typically can and do differ with each other, you can learn from others as they can learn from you, don’t ignore the differences between people, and avoid comments that bring negative attention to differences.
6. Balance Your Team Focus – Ensure that team members recognize the need to measure progress, not only of the product or goal, but on the workings of the team as a whole. It is easy to get lost in the team concept and lose sight of the original goal. Regularly review efforts, monitor tasks as well as relationships, and reward and celebrate results.
