Why do some teams work well together and other do not? A great deal of research has been done over the years to determine why some collaborative efforts excel while others fail miserably. While the reasons vary, ten major factors are consistently present in teams that are successful. Here are the top ten, including the number one. Take a look!

10 Factors Contributing to Successful Collaboration

1. Members have a history of collaboration and cooperation.
2. Mutual understanding, respect, and trust.
3. Members feel that collaboration is in their own self-interest.
4. Appropriate and diverse cross-section of members.
5. Members have a stake in the process and the outcome.
6. Development of policy guidelines with clear roles.
7. Members are flexible, adaptable, and able to compromise.
8. Frequent and open communication.
9. Concrete, obtainable goals and objectives.
10. Shared vision.

Of the ten, what is the most important? The research points to a single factor as being the most important. Collaborative efforts that fail to recognize the importance of that single factor will tend to struggle no matter how well the remaining conditions are met. The single most important factor is:

Objectives that are clear, specific, and have a measurable outcome.

It seems obvious doesn’t it? Objectives explain what is to be done, when it is to be done, why it is being done, and how it will be done. Without clear objectives the other factors have no hook to hang on to, no measure of obtaining the goal, and little focus to motivate them to strive and move forward.

References

• Mattessich, Paul and Barbara Monsey. 1992. Collaboration: What Makes It Work. St. Paul, Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
• Winer, Michael and Karen Ray. 1994. Collaboration Handbook: Creating, sustaining and enjoying the journey. St. Paul, Minnesota: Amherst W. Wilder Foundation.

Tags: teamwork