Empowering and Equipping Leaders to Drive Excellence in Team Collaboration

In this complex and fast-paced world of work, collaboration has become a non-negotiable for teams aspiring to be high-performing. Leaders often struggle to create a collaborative environment that yields high-level results. In my opinion, many leadership development programs focus on communication, coaching, and team management, but only a few emphasize practical strategies that leaders can implement to foster collaboration.

According to Edmonson (2019), collaboration is not merely about working together; it is about driving shared accountability, fostering psychological safety, and aligning efforts. Learning and development professionals face challenges when building leadership programs that integrate these principles with measurable outcomes.

Team Collaboration & The Leadership Gap

Task management, delegation, and decision-making are often emphasized in traditional leadership training programs. However, Duhigg (2016) notes that research consistently shows that collaboration is the primary driver of team performance, innovation, and employee engagement. When there is a lack of collaboration, siloes are formed, there are breakdowns in communication, and employee morale tends to be low. This has a negative impact on business goals and objectives.

Let’s not forget that many leaders have not been formally trained to intentionally lead collaboration. Leaders often assume that team members will automatically cooperate with one another, or that collaboration is only necessary during cross-functional initiatives. When collaboration is not prioritized by leaders, it becomes inconsistent and reactive.

Cultivate Collaboration Through Leader Development

Training on how to build collaborative teams and cultures should be incorporated into training programs to close this gap. The key components of this training should include:

1. Communication Style & Self Awareness Assessments: Understanding how communication and decision-making styles impact team dynamics is imperative for leaders. Although numerous assessments are available, tools like DISC or MBTI help leaders identify their personal tendencies and learn how to adapt to meet the needs of others (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009).
2. Team-Based Learning & Application: Leaders should be given opportunities to apply concepts learned in leadership programs with their teams in real time. This could include exercises such as conducting role clarity exercises, leading a facilitated team discussion, or co-developing ground rules for collaboration. Kolb (2015) states that experiential learning can bridge the gap between knowledge and application.
3. Building Trust & Psychological Safety: Edmondson (2019) states that psychological safety is essential for collaboration. Leaders should be trained to create environments where team members can speak up without fear of being punished, and feedback, healthy conflict, and innovative ideas are welcomed. In addition, embracing diverse perspectives, modeling vulnerability, and recognizing contributions should also be included.
4. Coaching Conversations: One powerful way to lead collaborative teams effectively is to develop a coaching mindset. Coaching enhances the confidence of team members individually, encourages shared ownership, and fosters accountability. Teaching leaders to ask open-ended questions, practice active listening, and provide constructive feedback empowers teams to problem-solve together rather than relying solely on management. (Stoltzfus, 2005).
5. Follow-Through & Accountability: For effective collaboration to occur, clear roles, mutual expectations, and consistent follow-through must be prevalent. Leaders should also be trained to utilize tools like shared action plans and learn how to determine success metrics and to track progress. According to Lencioni (2002), accountability should be positioned as a commitment to shared goals and excellence, rather than as a punitive measure.

Post Collaboration Training: Measure The Impact

When implementing training on collaboration, remember to measure the outcomes and effectiveness. Here are a few key metrics:

• Employee Engagement Surveys: Create a survey or add questions to an existing survey for employees that include questions about psychological safety, the effectiveness of collaboration, inclusion, and team communication.
• Team Performance Metrics: Conduct pre- and post-testing to evaluate productivity, project completion timelines, and error rates, assessing the impact of the collaboration training.
• 360 Feedback Tools: These tools can help you evaluate if a leader is truly fostering collaboration by obtaining anonymous feedback from supervisors, team, and peers.

Building and implementing feedback loops will position your team and organization to reinforce desired outcomes and make more informed, data-driven decisions regarding your training programs.

Program Design Inspiration for L&D Pros

Consider the following design elements when attempting to integrate collaboration training into leadership development programs successfully:

• Blended Learning Approach: Simultaneously offer live workshops, self-paced learning, coaching, and team activities for optimal impact.
• Team Participation: To reinforce learning, accelerate culture change, and build trust, encourage leaders to involve their teams to be a part of this development journey.
• Provide Helpful Toolkits: Develop templates that leaders can use immediately, enabling them to take prompt action. (i.e,. job aids, conversation guides, activities, etc.)
• Maintain Momentum Post-Training: Continue supporting your leaders by offering refresher training, ongoing coaching, and peer learning communities. This ensures that reinforcement of new behaviors is sustained.

Sustaining Collaboration: Company Culture is Key

All of your learning and development programs should be aligned with your organizational culture. This is a crucial step when launching employee programs. Progress will stall if collaboration is a priority in training, but is undermined by cultural norms. Upper leadership and HR professionals must work together to ensure that collaboration is expected at every level of the organization, valued, and recognized as important for the overall success of the company culture.

For leaders to consistently apply and implement what they have learned, a supportive company culture is crucial in reinforcing the connection between performance and collaboration. Organizations will experience long-term impact when development programs are integrated into broader talent strategies.

Conclusion

Remember, collaboration should be a pillar of leadership development programs, and it is a major driver of organizational success. When building agile, effective, and innovative teams, it is imperative to equip leaders with the tools, training, and mindset necessary to foster collaboration.

Now more than ever, it is imperative to design learning experiences that go beyond theory and deliver real behavioral changes, creating a true impact. Leadership development can drive lasting improvement and success in collaboration with intentional design, measurement, and cultural alignment.

References

Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence 2.0. TalentSmart.

Duhigg, C. (2016, February 25). What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team. The New York Times Magazine. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html

Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.

Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. Jossey-Bass.

Stoltzfus, T. (2005). Coaching questions: A coach’s guide to powerful asking skills. Coach22 Bookstore.