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The Truth About Collaboration

Writer's picture: Carrie RosebrockCarrie Rosebrock

Updated: 5 days ago

Where do I even begin with this one?


Though I have experienced, witnessed, and believe in the power of collective planning and execution--I do not believe collaboration is a value that everyone does or should possess. If I believed that everyone should want to collaborate, and further that everyone should value collaboration, then I'd set myself up for frustration and disappointment every single day.


Do I wish teamwork was easier to develop, and that more folks would believe in the process of working together--yes I do. Do I believe we should all value collaboration? Ehh...that's where it gets a little trickier.


Shoulding can often lead to judgment. If I believed that everyone should value collaboration, I would be quick to judge my fellow colleagues and educators who don't agree with me. In my judgment of them, I'd distance myself from them--making it hard for me to see the value in collaborating with them, too. In my judgment of someone else's need for autonomy, I would inevitably alienate that person (and myself) and would push myself further into my own autonomy. It would be an ineffective, self-fulfilling, anti-team prophesy.


I don't know if it sounds odd for me to share that I don't actually expect everyone to want to collaborate. But the truth is, I don't always want to collaborate myself. To be open and transparent, there are times when I want to brainstorm, co-plan, analyze, listen, and learn from peers, and there are times when I don't.


I don't think my need for occasional autonomy makes me a bad teammate; in fact, I think it actually makes me empathetic in realizing that we are all on a collaboration/autonomy spectrum, and there's no perfect perspective that we should all have.


It's true that collaboration can be slower than autonomy. Collaboration can be more complex than autonomy. Collaboration can be more redundant than autonomy. Oh--and did I mention it's pretty stinkin' hard?


I get why some folks would rather just do the thing on their own, by themselves. I really do. The problem is...we can't all survive on our own, by ourselves.


We do actually need one another.


I am so lucky now to coach teams and leaders in collaboration navigation (I just made that up). Honestly, I think I really love this work because it always feels like a challenge to me. I love helping others develop their own efficacy--and I love doing it in a field that pushes me to grow, too.


For me, collaboration has always, always been a challenge. Have there been times when I was a great teammate? Sure! Have there also been times when folks were so frustrated with me that coaches or teachers or bosses or principals or superintendents or team leaders had to sit me down and set me straight? You bet.


I get why people sometimes cry in a team meeting because darn it, I sometimes cried in team meetings. I don't know...it can just happen. And the truth is, sometimes it's difficult to share our ideas or listen to other people. I don't think that makes anyone a bad person; it's just the honest way that it is.


If collaboration and teamwork was something I felt came natural to me, I doubt I'd be able to coach teacher teams. I wouldn't understand the natural frustrations that occur in team and trust development. I wouldn't have patience for the person or the team who is skeptical of the process. Honestly, I wouldn't have patience for the process itself, and I might even become pretty judgmental of it.


If collaboration and teamwork was something I felt was a natural strength--I doubt I would study it with curiosity, and I doubt I'd find team dynamics so fascinating.


I love a good team. I mean I love it. Seeing a true team in action literally sparks joy for me. I suppose I feel that a team, in many ways, brings out the best in us humans as we move beyond on our limitations as individuals and work together for some greater purpose--some greater good.


But just because I love a good team does not mean I'm automatically great and functional on every team I'm ever on. That'd be nuts! Coaches and leaders are humans, and humans are messy. That's just how it goes. There's no sense in thinking we should all love teams and love collaboration and also be really great at it. That's not how it is, so why be frustrated with a non-reality?


I don't have to be a naturally flexible to admit that stretching every day is good for my body. Likewise, I don't have to be a naturally collaborative person to admit that working with others is incredibly beneficial.


The truth is, some people just really love the idea of doing something on their own. By themselves. Alone. And that's reality. I can't change that, nor do I need to judge it.


I also don't have to allow it in a community, school setting. I can accept that some folks aren't as inclined to collaborate (or think they don't have the time) and still create systems and structures where they still have to. It's actually pretty simple to hold people accountable for a process. We don't have to judge folks for whatever views they may have on teamwork. That's their business, not ours.


We just need to hold our expectations with consistency and give people the practice they need to have the conversations they don't yet know they want.




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