Yes, of course, collaboration is a key ingredient to success … BUT … the trouble is we’re simply too keen to collaborate and we’re taking it too far.

Collaboration has gone up 50% in the past decade … Collaboration is taking up to 85% of most people’s work week … Collaboration is creeping into morning & evening diaries, adding 5 to 8 hours a week! … Collaboration is overloading us!

Today, with MS Teams, Slack, Email, Zoom, Instant Messaging, WhatsApp, Instagram etc., it’s all becoming too much to manage according to the collaboration pioneer Rob Cross (see above statistics), and who also finds that 50% of the ‘too keen to collaborate problem’ comes from 3 Key Triggers:

Trigger #1- The Desire to Help – because helping says something about our all important (self) identity.

Trigger #2 – The Need for Accomplishment – working with others and achieving things feels good … and be very careful here … it becomes addictive!

Trigger #3 – Fear – Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Fear of losing control, Fear of what others say about you (if you don’t collaborate) …

THREE SOLUTIONS TO FIGHTING THE … ‘Collaboration Enemy’ … These three solutions that may sound obvious, (and they are!), but as I can testify from my Executive Coaching Proactice, we simply do not use them enough because it means having the leadership courage to let go, the courage to behave differently, and most importantly … the courage to rewrite our leadership narrative (i.e. how you ‘think’ people see you).

SOL’N #1. GET COMFORTABLE SAYING ‘NO’ – it’s about the art of saying ‘No’, and ironically when needed, co-creating the ‘No’ solution with those who ask for your support. We continually fail to recognise that when we say ‘Yes’ to someone else’s plans it means we’re saying ‘No’ to something else (often our space / time for more impactful and meaningful leadership activities).

SOL’N #2. DELEGATE – only work on things where only you can add value (that what’s your paid for!), empower others and then step out of the way, and celebrate the small (and big) wins … and amazingly, celebration is often the most neglected aspect of leadership!

SOL’N #3. BE INTENTIONAL IN CRAFTING YOUR WORK LIFE – work with at least a 2-to-3-week time horizon, and make sure your time AND energy is aligned to the upside of your goals. As one of my clients recently shared with me … ask yourself daily … “Is what I’m doing AND being today getting me closer or further from my goals.”

For more on this, check out the TED Series … How to Be a Team Player — Without Burning Out | The Way We Work.