In any organization, people apply unspoken rules and understood norms to get collective work done — in other words, they collaborate. Over the past 15 years, my team and I have observed and facilitated thousands of meetings and helped hundreds of teams come together to do work, and we have found that collaboration looks different depending on a variety of factors.
In Collaborative Work Cultures, Women Carry More of the Weight
Organizational cultures that value relationships and are execution-oriented are undoubtedly exciting and productive places to work, but the type of collaborative work that is often seen in these organizations can lead to collaboration overload. A recent study of three such organizations showed that, while everyone experienced collaboration overload, women carried the burden disproportionately. Research suggests reasons for this disparity: Women are more likely to care for the groups they are a part of and are less likely to say no to time-intensive commitments. Managers should assess the level and distribution of collaboration overload in their organizations and take steps to balance the burden. Building a culture that recognizes and responds to the gender imbalance in collaboration requires clear contracting, transparency, and healthy feedback.