Elon Musk discusses how collaboration needs to be a concern even when hiring exceptionally talented individuals because their ability to work well with others is essential.

To watch the complete interview click here

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Collaboration is key to having teams function well. The level of collaboration impacts both the team’s ability to perform and its ability to innovate. Keeping in mind that even the smartest person will have to interface with others in order to be effective is an essential part of a healthy hiring process.

Only too often, however, the initial care shown during hiring is not continued during the integration of the new comer into the team. Existing teams typically do not get together to reassess what they are meant to accomplish and how the newcomer will contribute and collaborate. Individuals are left to find their way.

The common result is that the team never gets to its full potential. Great collaboration can spring naturally but, more often than not, it requires some deliberate attention.

Our recommended approach is to create an on-boarding process that not only accelerates the integration of the new hire but also reinforces the cohesiveness of the existing team. This is a small investment that pays big dividends. Unfortunately, the standard pattern is to let the team to find its bearings on its own until it becomes obvious that the team is not able to collaborate effectively and is struggling to meet its commitments. The hidden costs of under-performing teams are high but usually ignored until acute problems develop

We specialize in turning around team dynamics. Even in difficult situations where collaboration has suffered because of poor communications, lack of coordination, and at times uncooperative behaviors, much can be changed within weeks to improve the functioning of the team in difficulty. In our experience we have seen rapid results by combining 1) team facilitation to bring the team to hold the “real” conversations they have avoided thus far, and 2) individual coaching to help individuals grow into new mindsets and behaviors.

If you are interested in exploring how we can boost collaboration in your team or organization, please contact us here.