Here on MaxDis, we collaborate on (most) posts. On the best, I’d argue. WordPress only lists one of us as the author for each post. But my favorites, the ones with clarity and insight and good grammar, are the ones we write together.
And my MaxDis posts that I don’t like? That’s on me, for not giving someone else an opportunity to add and improve. The opportunity to collaborate is mine to give; not others’ to demand.
It ain’t just about blogging. Look at important articles in major newspapers—the ones with deep reporting, requiring multiple sources and fact checks. They may have two or three credited writers, and a few more contributors acknowledged at the end of the article. There’s power in a network of professionals.
At work, we have as many team members touch a product as time allows. It’s not a hard and fast rule, and we don’t create barriers to shipping by ‘waiting for’ nice-to-have reviews. These have been our unwritten, and effective, rules for collaboration (I guess they’re written, now):
Talk. We talk all the time—about the news, about how our products are being used, about what we’re working on, about what’s next, about what’s not working. Everybody knows everything because we CC each other on e-mails, chat all day and night, and take our calls on speaker phone. Even when we’re focused on distinct projects, we are subconsciously digesting and finding inspiration that can help our team members.
Step up to the white board. A blank white board has a psychological effect on people—I don’t know if it’s the physical posture of standing around it, the colors of the markers, or the fact that everyone’s focus is on the words in front of them. Maybe it’s the fumes. When it comes to quality and accurate final products, a ten-minute white board session resulting in a scribbled outline is more valuable to me than two hours blocked off to work alone.
Make teamwork infectious. My teams collaborate on content, narratives, videos, booklets, public affairs guidance and briefings when we’re truly excited about the end result—the opportunities the product will create. This comes naturally when you have a team of people who want to be there.
Deliver content, not ideas. I’m often guilty of this but am working on it. Make the product better, rather than telling someone else how they can make the product better. If there’s information that needs to be researched, find it yourself or clearly articulate the facts that need to be asked by whom to whom (and how those facts should be shared).
This can be messy. Version control and competing priorities complicate the process, so you’ve got to pay attention to actions, next steps, and what’s falling between the cracks. This goes back to always talking as a team. Drive toward a shippable product—don’t delay shipping because it would be nice to have one more review. Someone, probably you, needs to codify next steps and timelines. “Hector, just to confirm, you’re going to edit that briefing card, then send it to Roland for approval, right? Can you really do that by 3 p.m.? Because if not, someone else can review or Roland can just take it now.”
How are you building a team of collaborators?
