Collaboration is a needed capacity for working together, and here are some tips for collaborating more effectively wherever you are, whatever you do.

The first three tips are about inquiry. Please don’t underestimate the value of asking, listening, and being influenced. Practice, experiment, and see what happens. Here are the inquiry tips:

1) Ask questions to understand and clarify.
2) Listen deeply.
3) Be willing to be influenced by others.

Three steps. You can do this online, face-to-face, over the phone, wherever.

The next set of tips are about advocacy. Sometimes you need to advocate. Collaboration depends on your good judgment, your willingness to stand for what you value and believe in. Here are a few tips for stating your point of view in a way that builds collaboration. Once again, try it, and watch the results.

1) Say what you believe and why you believe it. Explain how you got to your belief, and why you adhere to your point of view.
2) Describe your belief and ask, “What did I miss?” or “How do you see things?” “Where do we see things differently? Where the same?”
3) Be clear that you have a point of view, explain that you are advocating and why it’s important to you.

Good luck!