Collaboration is the keystone of successful innovation. And many teams THINK they have a collaborative culture. They share their work, solicit and incorporate feedback, iterate with team members–all activities we associate with a collaborative work process. And still, many teams struggle to generate truly impactful ideas, or to actually build products from those ideas and deliver something valuable to customers. Despite best intentions, they can’t seem to get to a deep, effective level of collaboration necessary for success. Why is something as basic as working together so difficult? Why do we all seem to suck at collaboration? Join us as we explore the most common challenges of collaborative work, and discuss simple but powerful ways teams can tackle those challenges together: practical methods you can use to override unhealthy patterns, align on goals, and start designing a culture that nurtures robust collaboration. (presented at MWUX 2017, World IA Day 2018, and IA Summit 2018)

1. K A R E N V A N H O U T E N

2. AC
TV-MA
THEFOLLOWING
PROGRAMISRATED
AND CONTAINS
ADULT CONTENT
AL ADULT LANGUAGE
RF RED-HEADED FURY
SS SOCIAL SITUATIONS
TD TEAM DYSFUNCTION

3. JUST…NO.

4. COLLABORATION
a diverse team,
with a shared understanding of goals,
collectively generating solutions,
with the result being greater than any one
individual could achieve alone.

5. IF YOU PUT FIVE WHITE GUYS
FROM STANFORD IN A ROOM…

6. ( K A R E N ’ S I N I T I A L R E S P O N S E )

7. Collaboration is difficult and
complicated, because…
…some people are just assholes.

8. WALLFLOWER
Protective of their
own position.
Quick to blame, slow to
take responsibility.
More interested in
manipulating reactions than
providing honest feedback.
Afraid of making
mistakes, looking stupid,
retribution…
Risk-averse.
Conflict avoidant.
Self-aware.
Willing to take
calculated,
informed risks.
Neither seeks
nor retreats
from conflict.
MENSCH ASSHOLE
Lacking
CONFIDENCE
Lacking
EMPATHY
Appropriate
CONFIDENCE
Healthy
EMPATHY

9. PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
To build confidence, focus on establishing
COOPERATION OVER COMPETITION
To encourage empathy, focus on rewarding

10. IT’S DIFFICULT TO CALL
FOUL WHEN WE ALL SEEM
TO BE PLAYING BY A
DIFFERENT SET OF RULES

11. BUT…WHAT IF WE ALL HAD
THE SAME PLAYBOOK?

12. WE CREATE A CODE OF
CONDUCT THAT
OUTLINES THE
RULES OF PLAY.

13. WHAT WOULD MY
IDEAL CODE OF
CONDUCT LOOK LIKE?

14. HOW WILL WE
TREAT EACH OTHER?
C O D E O F C O N D U C T
We strive to be trustworthy.
We begin the practice of empathy with our own team.
We assume good intent.
We replace defensiveness with curiosity.
We are forgiving of well-intentioned mistakes.

15. HOW WILL WE
APPROACH OUR WORK?
C O D E O F C O N D U C T
We begin projects when there is a demonstrated need and appropriate resources.
We collectively articulate specific goals for each project.
We assign the right kinds of roles & responsibilities.
We don’t stop at the first idea but push through to the best idea.
We recognize the value of exploration for learning’s sake.

16. HOW WILL WE
COMMUNICATE?
C O D E O F C O N D U C T
We actively work towards alignment, not agreement.
We debate ideas, not character.
We evaluate ideas based on their merit, not their source.
We agree that any idea that promotes discussion is useful.
We confront directly and in the moment.

17. HOW WILL WE
MAKE DECISIONS?
C O D E O F C O N D U C T
Everyone gets a voice, even if they don’t get an equal vote.
We test proposed solutions against defined benchmarks of success.
We call out assumptions.
We trust our designated decision-makers.
We are transparent with our decision-making process.

18. HOW WILL WE
DEFINE SUCCESS?
C O D E O F C O N D U C T
We are constantly learning.
Each team member is contributing at an appropriate level.
The team grows equally in confidence and empathy.
We are as focused on the evolution of our process as our products.
This way of working together becomes habitual.

19. THE TEAM MUTUALLY
AGREES HOW TO ENFORCE
THE CODE…

20. …AND COMMITS TO
ANNOYINGLY VIGILANT
PERSISTENCE IN
FOLLOWING IT.

21. UM...AND WHAT ABOUT
MANAGEMENT’S ROLE
IN ALL THIS?

22. OK, SURE. MANAGEMENT
CREATES THE CONDITIONS
THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY
AND EMPOWERMENT.

23. SINCE WHEN HAS REVOLUTION
COME FROM THE TOP DOWN?
REVOLUTION STARTS WITH
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHANGE

24. STOP ASKING FOR
PERMISSION TO DO YOUR JOB.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND DO SOMETHING.

25. Grant me the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

26. FUCK SERENITY

27. YOU WILL NEVER FIND
MORE INTERESTING
PROBLEMS TO SOLVE
THAN THE MESSY
HUMAN ONES.

28. GIVE UP THE PURSUIT
OF PERFECTION, AND
ENJOY THE PURSUIT OF
PROGRESS.

29. REMEMBER, BAD IDEAS AND
UGLY OPINIONS ARE
COMPOST FOR YOUR
GARDEN OF BRILLIANT IDEAS.

31. READY?
LET’S GET CURIOUS!
K A R E N V A N H O U T E N