If You Can’t Pass the Ball, You Can’t play!

So said Coach Dean Smith to Michael Jordan in his freshman (first) year at the University of North Carolina (UNC)! As we know now, Michael went on to become arguably the greatest player in the NBA history, leading his team, the Chicago Bulls, to six championships. In fact, the official NBA site says, “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time -- although a summary of his basketball career and influence on the game inevitably fails to do justice to the man. A phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar. “

Coach Smith could see the talent and leadership potential in Michael but that was not enough. Michael could play a key role on the team, but Michael also had to learn to collaborate effectively with his teammates, to be a winner. As the Coach knew, all players, not just the presumed best, have individual roles to play, in collaboration with others, to achieve the mission of winning. Individual excellence is expected and appreciated; however, it is necessary but not sufficient.

The message applies equally to collaboration in the enterprise. Members of collaborative teams have a variety of roles to play. Kare Anderson outlines nine roles individuals can play on a team in Will You be Asked to Join the Team?, based on the book, Nice Teams Finish Last, by Brian Cole Miller:

1. The Peacemaker: Focuses on team harmony and unity
2. The Champion: Focuses on power in influence
3. The Perfectionist: Concerned with the pursuit of excellence
4. The Energizer: Primarily concerned with innovation and enjoyment
5. The Guardian: Focused on trust and security
6. The Observer: Wants information to understand and be objective
7. The Individualist: Longs for uniqueness and self-expression
8. The Achiever: Focuses on productivity and results
9. The Helper: All about teammates and their needs

Which role(s) can you play on a collaboration team? What makes you a valuable member of a collaborative endeavor?

On team dynamic and conflict, Kare quotes Miller: “Teams that try to avoid conflict, end up under-performing. There’s a sweet spot between no conflict and too much conflict, where we are maximally effective.” She highlights Miller’s four principles for “bold” (rather than lower-performing “nice”) team behavior:

1. Assume innocence
2. Build a Bridge
3. Speak your truth
4. Invite dialogue

What are your experiences on collaboration teams? What role(s) did you play? What challenges did you face? What helped?

Update on 25 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

See Related Posts:

• Collaboration = Cooperative Behavior + Assertive Behavior
• Measuring Collaboration Behavior
• Effective Collaboration Is More than Deliverables
• Collaboration: Building and Sustaining Trust
• Collaboration Is More than Team Building and Management
• Managing Virtual Teams
• The Four Ps of Effective Collaboration
• How’s your collaboration effort going?

Comments

[Lokesh Datta]

I posted this question on LinkedIn: What key characteristics/traits do you look for when assessing whether someone is or would be an effective collaborator?

I received interesting responses that I would like to share.

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Vincent Vanderbent, Document Specialist at Cooley LLP, Creative Thinker, Owner of Your Health First!

An effective collaborator contributes her/his expertise for the common goal/good, so I would assess whether the person shares useful information, appears to be holding back, tries to mislead by giving only partial info etc. You could do this in a group setting, or by asking project related questions in an interview format. Give the person a hypothetical situation and observe how (s)he works her/himself through it.
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Tirumalai Kamala, Immunologist, Microbiologist, Organizer

A common goal and similar level of importance or need to attain such goal would be primarily important considerations. Further, sharing credit, ideas, responsibilities, resources and information on a regular and timely basis are other must-have characteristics for successful collaborations. These are qualities that can be assessed by careful analysis of the person's history or by careful questioning.
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Paul Slater, Owner, Mushcado Consulting, Management Consultant and Executive Coach

I'd say that an ability to listen to and appreciate the other party's views and being prepared to discuss and negotiate around topics which both sides (or more than two) may have differing opinions on. For this to happen I believe there have to be two conditions in place. Firstly, there has to be a recognised goal that both sides are aiming at so that when discussion get into difficulties they can re-focus on what they are trying to achieve. Secondly, there must be complete openness and honesty in communication at all times around the issues at hand.

Hope this is of some use.
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Wallace Jackson, Multimedia Producer & i3D Programmer for Acrobat3D PDF, Android Mobile Apps, Virtual Worlds, iTV Design, JavaFX & JavaTV
1. Organized
2. Goal Oriented
3. Knowledgeable
4. Educated at Top Universities
5. International Client References
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Warren Lake, Visionary

1) Feels passionate about collaborating with you and stays committed through the length of the project, or long-term over the course of many projects.

2) Likes to stay in close communication by answering phone calls, emails and instant messages in a timely fashion. Is easy to talk to and get along with, open to new ideas and is a creative brainstormer.

3) Comfortable with using standard methods of collaborating, but is also willing to try out new methods and techniques, and will give them a decent trial period before determining their merits and limitations.

4) Has the time to invest in new pursuits and can work toward long-term goals without requiring instant rewards because he or she is insightful enough to recognize the value of developing collaborative product lines, contacts and networks over time.