Have you ever seen or been involved in a situation in which your collaboration was forced?  It did not make you feel very good about your participation, did it?  Collaboration and commitment go together — if members of a team are committed, the naturally strive for collaboration to be successful.  If a team is collaborating well, you can bet that they have a commitment to a common goal.  When either of these elements is missing, you see members begin to distrust each other which ultimately leads to discouragement.

I remember being in Kindergarten.  I was very competitive, even as a 5 year old.  I wanted to win at everything.  So, whenever an assignment was given that was totally within my control, I did great.  I finished first, then watched all the others struggle to keep up.  However, when our teacher (Mrs. Murphy — yes, I can still remember some important facts from my past) put us into groups to work as a team, my patience was stressed.  I remember going nuts as a teammate struggled to cut a simple figure out of paper with those small scissors we used.  Or, another teammate forgetting how to spell “embellishment” or some other easy word.  I became discouraged because I was not committed to my teammates… only winning.

Our teams often function in similar ways.  When we, as leaders, have not clearly articulated the goal or objective and conveyed why it is important, the team members may fail to see the benefits from collaboration.  As good leaders, we must ensure that collaboration always is driven by a common commitment, and that our common commitment inspires collaboration.  Yes, there is that word again…. Inspiration.  As leaders, we must inspire others to achieve what they could not have done otherwise.

So, are you inspired to collaborate to achieve something fantastic?  Or, are you inspiring others?  If you see distrust or discouragement in your team, you might consider whether a common commitment has been achieved.

Have a stupendous day!  Do something to encourage a teammate that may be feeling discouraged or unappreciated.  Thanks for all you do!