Characteristics of Collaborative Teams
Collaborative teaming works best when a number of features are present: 1) mutual
goals and shared beliefs, 2) parity among participants, 3) shared responsibility for
participation and decision making 4) sharing of resources, 5) shared accountability
for outcomes, 6) voluntary participation, and 7) mutual trust and respect. Let’s
look at each of these features individually.
1) Mutual goals and shared beliefs. Participants must share at least one goal (the
“common goal”), and be willing to put aside differences to reach this goal. A group’s
“common goal” should be broad enough that all members believe in it, but specific
enough that you will know when you’ve reached it. Attaining mutual goals and
shared beliefs may be one of the characteristics that is most difficult to develop.
It is very important to continue striving towards this goal throughout all your
teaming efforts.
2) Parity among participants. A collaborative team will not be collaborative if its
members are not considered peers/equals. Each person’s contribution to an
interaction is equally as valuable as another’s, and each person should hold equal
power in the group’s decision making. To help ensure parity, the notion of parity
can be stated as a “ground rule” that all participants must follow.
3) Shared responsibility for participation and decision making. Because
collaborative teaming relies on the input of all members, all members must share
responsibility for participating and decision-making. A group where only one or two
members take on the lion’s share of the work, or where only one member makes all
of the decisions is not a collaborative team. All members must take equal
responsibility to share the work, decisions, interactions, and activities.
4) Sharing of resources. Sharing resources is often a key motivator for
collaboration. Consider the resources of various team members: A teacher’s
resources may include educational expertise and understanding of curriculum. A
parent’s resources may include an understanding of child’s background. A service
provider’s resource may include assistive technology or social services. A
principal’s resources may include access to school resources. And a student’s
resources may include an understanding of his or her own social, emotional, and
educational needs. All of these resources must be shared in order to meet the
needs of the student. In cases where there is a scarcity of resources (funding,
materials, technology), it is very important that team members strategize on how
best to allocate the resources rather than horde the resources.
5) Shared accountability for outcomes. Collaborative team members must be
willing to accept responsibility for results of their team’s work. Whether the
outcomes are positive or negative, all team members must share the accountability.
Blaming others for failures or taking individual credit for successes can erode the
team by creating defensiveness, competitiveness, or lack of trust.
6) Voluntary participation. Voluntary participation is important to the collaborative
part of collaborative teaming. Mandatory rules can create teams, but only
individuals can truly decide if they want to work in a collaborative style. No matter
how the team is formed, individuals must voluntarily decide to work collaboratively
in order for the collaborative teaming process to work.
7) Mutual trust and respect. Team members must learn to trust and respect one
another in order for a sense of community to evolve from collaboration. This trust
may not come overnight, but over time, if the trust is not there, the process of
collaboration will not be successful.