The 11 questions that will tell you if your behaviour is collaborative

From the industrial age of business the concept of coordination has ruled the way people work together. Driven by directive and a singular focus on return to the ownership structure it is not based on trust or on team work, but often focused on a narrow short term cost based goal.

In the more modern knowledge area cooperation started to become more important. Although still a directed mandate it requires a higher degree of personal investment and motivation from the individuals participating. However cooperation still works inside the frames established by the operating logic of the company.

Neither works well when innovation or disruption are needed, which is why collaboration has emerged in the recent years. Collaboration is driven by mulutal self interest and requires a high level of trust and commitment for each party. It requires highly engaged people that are willing to challenge authority and status quo to unlock new value to the benefit of all parties.

These 11 questions will give you an idea if you are currenlty working in a collaborative way:

1. Are you unselfish and do not pull rank
2. Are you Inspirational and positive
3. Are you Committed to the team and the challenge
4. Are you Curios and have an open mind
5. Do you Participate but do not dominate
6. Do You Build trust and create a safe environment
7. Are you adaptable – not Dominant
8. Are you honest but with respect and tact
9. Do you Listen with the aim to understand
10. Do you Respect other persons and their views and ideas
11. Are you focused on Value Creation not value extraction