Increased success in Collaboration can occur through deliberate group setup, self-awareness and appropriate communication. Using forms, rubrics, charts and graphs, personal traits can be easily recorded and discussed, particularly within a team assembled for Problem solving.
Thinking styles
There are two main components of thinking styles, each are dichotomies and combine to form two axes for personal evaluation:
Creation of ideas
- Internal thinkers typically express themselves best through writing and take longer to develop and express ideas
- External thinkers typically express themselves best through speech and are faster at developing and expressing ideas
Application of ideas
- Detailed thinkers typically focus on specific, existing situations and start small, eventually working towards solving the greater whole of a given problem.
- Visionary thinkers typically focus on broad, potential situations and start big, eventually working towards solving the more specific parts of a given problem
With both components, each benefits from the existence of the other; internal thinkers 'feed' off of the rapid-fire ideas of external thinkers and, conversely, external thinkers are 'grounded' by the deliberate pace at which internal thinkers operate (Note that the speed at which each functions has no correlation to intelligence). Detailed and visionary thinkers succeed in opposite realms and collaboratively can produce results faster and better than alone.
Working styles
Two primary types of working styles exist, each benefiting from contributions of the other:
- Alone/Quiet/Focused workers are typically self-paced, internal thinkers who are driven by goals and are conscious of ownership issues. They are usually best at expressing themselves in writing.
- Shared/High-Energy/Dynamic workers are typically fast-paced, external thinkers who are conceptual/visionary and work towards building consensus in real-time. They are usually best at expressing themselves verbally.
Conflict between these groups typically occurs when group one becomes passive aggressive or group two becomes outwardly aggressive. Managing expectations, building expectations and communicating well are ways to avoid conflict.
Learning styles
Main article: Representational systems (NLP)
For collaboration purposes, three learning styles are typically identified:
- Auditory learning occurs through hearing the spoken word and represents approximately 25 percent of the population.
- Kinesthetic learning occurs through doing, touching and interacting and represents approximately 40 percent of the population.
- Visual learning occurs through images, demonstrations and body language and represents approximately 30 percent of the population.
Through the use of varied (or redundant) communication styles, collaborative groups can communicate better both internally and externally.
Theory of multiple intelligences
Main article: Theory of multiple intelligences
Psychologist Howard Gardner says that individuals have varying levels of intelligences within seven major realms:
- linguistic/verbal intelligneces
- logical mathematical intelligence
- spatial/visual intelligences
- bodily/kinesthetic intelligences
- musical/rhythmic intelligences
- interpersonal intelligences
- intrapersonal intelligences
Greater success in collaboration is likely to occur when teams are specifically assembled to provide the greatest diversity of intelligences.
Interpersonal communication
Main article: Interpersonal communication
In collaborative groups, two styles of communication are likely to be found:
- Indirect communicators are typically persons who use intuitive means to understand the needs and desires of others. They find direct questions difficult to answer and direct communicaton rude and insensitive.
- Direct communicators are typically persons who use conscious thought to understand the needs and desires of others
External Respect
Main article: Respect
Conflict management
Main article: Conflict management
Conflict resolution
Main article: Conflict resolution
Values
Main article: Value (personal and cultural)
See also
References
- Spence, Muneera U. "Collaborative Processes: Understanding Self and Others." (lecture) Department of Art, Oregon State University. Art 325: Collaborative Processes. Fairbanks Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. 13 Apr. 2006.