Heres How to Be a Better Collaborator at Work

Heres How to Be a Better Collaborator at WorkHeres How to Be a Better Collaborator at Work No man is an island, the English poet John Donne once wrote. Nearly 400 years later, if youre into creative, ambitious work, that sentiment is truer than ever - collaboration is often essential.It also might elend feel like your strong suit. Maybe you feel weird without your headphones in and would much rather work alone. But even then, chances are your efforts are parte of a greater whole that hinges on your abilities as a collaborator to succeed - so you might as well speak up.Its an area where we can all stand to improve, and Grammarly has you covered. Here are six tips to help you become a better collaborator.Working in collaboration means everyone can contribute ideas - so its different from the kind of teamwork where a group marches in unified lockstep to realize one persons plan or goal. Collaborating means hearing people out , melding different ideas together and bui lding toward a shared objective.Put abedrngnisher way, if youre not steadily communicating about what youre trying to accomplish and how best to go about it, youre not really collaborating.Collaboration doesnt work if only one person does all the talking. Fostering a collaborative space means making room for other people to share their ideas - even the shy ones . (That said, making a point of giving a quiet person the floor doesnt help much if they feel suddenly called on like a daydreamer who zoned out in algebra class.)Part of getting people to open up and share valuable ideas is helping them feel like theyll be heard. That means being patient and generous - a facilitator, not an autocrat.Correct Thats an interesting idea. How do you see it fitting into this project?Incorrect You already know that idea is unrealistic, so just hush.Also, if you are one of the quieter ones present for a collaborative discussion, recognize that youre in the room to participate, not just observe. T hats not always the case in life - and yes, people who think all meetings should be collaborative are insufferable - but in this case, its good to show youre engaged by saying what youre thinking.One of the challenges of the collaborative process is getting past the blue sky stage where people throw out ideas, and onto distilling the results into an actionable plan with defined deliverables. When youre trying to clarify what youll actually be doing, it helps to ask questions rather than issue decrees, like soCorrect What problem are we trying to solve?Incorrect Our next iteration just needs to look more like the competitions.Correct What timeframe will it take to achieve meaningful progredienz?Incorrect I need this done and dusted before Thursdays board meeting.A useful strategy to get people on the same page is to try repeating their points back in your own words. This helps crystallize the takeaways and can reveal any discrepancies or misunderstandings that need to be addressed early on. It can also be worthwhile to capture key ideas on a whiteboard, sticky notes or a shared screen.One of the joys of being a collaborator is you dont have to have all the answers. A truly collaborative endeavor is one where its okay to take risks - and to go to your colleagues when you need guidance. Asking for help isnt a sign of weakness - it shows that youre interested in getting better at something, have recognized someone elses skill and feel secure enough to take some time out for your edification.Likewise, you want other people to feel at ease getting help from you, not forced, as in this exampleCorrectI noticed youve been working on that part for a while. Let me know if I can help out, okay?Incorrect Youre doing it wrong. Here, let me show you how an adult does it.Over the course of your project, you and your collaborators will likely find things to disagree about. Its worth remembering theres value in drawing from perspectives - even if only a fraction of the insights this process yields will be usable.For the rest, be diplomatic. Know when to hold your tongue. Keep in mind that kindness , while not always effortless, is rarely a waste of energy.At some point, someone will probably have to say no, or at least not right now. And someone else will have to live with that. This is part of what separates a collaborative process that sets and achieves its goals from an endless digression on things people wish would happen at some point. In other words, while it might not always feel like it, its often a good thing.There is no quicker way to exclude yourself from a groups future collaborative endeavors than to claim all the credit and glory for yourself. Its simply not a good look when you could instead be graciously acknowledging the contributions of your peers and bringing donuts.Lastly, take a moment to reflect on what you learned and what you hope to improve going forward. Such lessons may come in handy the next time youre called upon to collaborate.This article was originally published on Grammarly . It is reprinted with permission.