What Makes a Good Collaboration
I am the Lone Wolf Tenor but slowly I am peeling out of my shell.
Ruth from the Project Lab said that she “still hasn’t come out of quarantine” which resonates with me a lot.
My way of collaboration is to host workshops where I can listen to people and they give me ideas.
Today I am co-facilitating my first writing workshop with the Writer’s Collective of Canada (anyone can join these free workshops btw).
Yet collaboration goes beyond group work. Think about how you relate to other people. Your partners, your work colleagues or your family.
Difficult Conversations
Last night I wrote someone everything that was on my mind before I went to bed. The weight was so heavy that I couldn’t sleep. I worried about hurting their feelings, but the act of speaking up was necessary for us to realize that this collaboration was over.
You can’t wait for other people to have the candor required to figure out a situation.
If something isn’t working, speak up as soon as you can. The longer you let things fester, the worse it gets.
I work in marketing technology with developers. If something isn’t working, I have to speak up right away or it will take months to fix the problem.
I raised an issue with my colleague and he listened to me. I also demonstrated that I am willing to adapt as well if I can’t get my way. This is a solid collaboration with two lines of communication flowing freely between the nodes on the network.
And here is the truth lotion that I will layer on here:
You are in collaboration with your Most Creative Work. If you don’t speak up and share what you’re working on, the ideas dissipate. The energy goes away.
Keep the dialogue going. Don’t be afraid of your talents. The world needs them.
Inspiration strikes fast so you better be ready to bottle it up and get it out the door.
Speak up and say the thing.