How to Collaborate at Work When it's Hard
Collaboration always has an upbeat sound to it as it means "work together." When we think of musical collaborations or even two businesses coming together, it sparks excitement in the possibilities of what might come from this joint effort.
Collaboration brings together two separate people/teams/things/etc. and has the positive effect of broadening ideas and actions. The various experiences, tools, and knowledge of many people are more beneficial and fruitful than one person's individual strengths (and weaknesses). The possible outcome exponentially rises when collaboration is involved.
So, what makes the idea of collaborating at work so challenging?
We experience two blocks that force us to try to stay away from collaborating; perfectionism and the need for control. While these two items are interwoven, they do have slightly different triggers.
When it comes to needing something perfect, it's all about crossing the t's and dotting all the i's. The focus lies in the end product details, which you want to be free from imperfections.
On the other hand, when we think about the need for control, that is typically focused on the process itself, so how the work is done and doing it how you deem is "right."
Collaboration is so hard because you can't make all the decisions and control the process, and therefore you can't ensure the end product is perfect. Both of these are rooted in a positive intention of producing the best work. The flaw here is that it's focusing on your work alone.
How do you shift your mindset from focusing on your success to the success of the collaboration? Would it be too simple to stop worrying about having a perfect result and the need for control over the process? Yes.
The best way to move forward and allow your work to benefit from collaborating is to focus on what can come out of it. Thinking about the additional people taking responsibility for the success and letting yourself not take on all the ownership is critical. This is true for both the want and drive for something to be perfect and the need for control.
If the end product isn't perfect, that doesn't fall on your shoulders (alone). You can still focus and care about these things, but they are not a "failure" on you alone.
If someone has a different process to get from A to B, it won't matter if you get to B on a different route. In the end, everyone is responsible.
This might sound like not caring, but rather, it's allowing you to become part of something bigger, with endless possibilities. Lean into the stretch that collaboration can give you at work, no matter how hard letting go of some of your habits might be.