At a time when budgets are being slashed and resources are scarce, managers must find new strategies that will help them to lead successfully. In “Collaborative Government Managers Succeed Where Others Fail,” John Palguta suggests that leaders should combine their strengths and work together to get the job done.
Collaboration allows leaders to bring a wider variety of knowledge, skills and experience to the table. It can balance any weaknesses that exist in the team. With so many ideas in the mix, it can stimulate innovation.
But not all leaders have a natural ability to collaborate. For some, it is a learned skill. Here are some tactics leaders can use to acquire and use it:
• Communication is key. Leaders must be very clear about their ideas and intentions so that everyone on the team is on the same page.
• It is more important to ask questions than it is to delegate tasks. Asking questions will open the floor to more ideas and others will feel more comfortable voicing their thoughts. If everyone gets their chance to speak, leaders will have more resources available to them.
• One must accept that other people may have better solutions to a problem. This means putting aside one’s ego and remembering that everyone in the team has something valuable to contribute.
• Leaders should try to build strong relationships with other team members. A good working relationship with others can be crucial to a team’s success.
• Acknowledge those who bring value to discussions and encourage further contributions from them.
Have you had any experiences with collaborative leadership? What worked and what didn’t? Let us know in the comments.
