With global crises, increasing complexity, and the accelerated pace of change, the need for collaboration is on the rise. Employees are regularly lauded in their performance reviews for being helpful collaborators. But there is such a thing as too much.
When Contributing Gets in the Way of Collaborating
Employees are often praised for taking on more projects and working with a variety of people across the company. But while there is a lot of good that comes from collaboration, when we “help” too much we can boomerang into dysfunctional relationships and stalled work. Over-participating and taking on too much within a team can stifle group collaboration by sapping the oxygen in the room and making team members feel unheard and excluded. To avoid overtaking the group, follow these tips. First, find your unique contribution. Second, redefine what it means to be “helpful” by considering what the group needs. Third, stay quiet; mute before you refute to see how the discussion goes. Finally, negotiate a realistic timeline with the team in how work will proceed so you don’t become a bottleneck.