Write an article based on this "Understand the exact goal and timeline. Help delegate tasks Let everyone participate in discussion. . Suggest ways to communicate. Hold members accountable and exchange feedback. Seek consensus whenever possible Don't burn bridges."
The purpose of the collaboration should be obvious to all participants. Even if you are simply working on a school assignment or other short term goal, make sure you know the exact scope of the project. Are you committed to work weekends? Does everyone understand the specific work required? . Rather than trying to do everything, it is best to divide and conquer. Let everyone find his or her strength and work therein to contribute to the common goal. If you feel overwhelmed or think someone else could use your help, speak up. Assigning each member more general roles such as "researcher" or "meeting facilitator" makes specific task delegation quicker and less arbitrary. Stop and listen if you find you talk more than most other participants. Consider other ideas before responding automatically. Collaboration thrives when each member recognizes the value of each other member's participation. If some members are talking too much, adjust the discussion system. A small group can give each person speaking time in clockwise order. A large group can limit people to a certain number of minutes spoken per statement, or a certain number of statements made per meeting. To encourage shy members to speak up, ask them for input on a subject he or she is knowledgeable about or interested in. ssume good faith. Collaborative work proceeds most effectively in an atmosphere of trust. If you think someone is not acting in the group's best interest, you should try to discuss the reasons behind their actions non-judgementally. If you point a finger mistakenly, the spirit of collaboration can easily turn sour. Discuss problems openly, not behind a teammate's back. Collaborators should have opportunities to exchange ideas and information between meetings. Use online wikis, email discussions, or document sharing services to keep members up to date. Meet as a group for the occasional relaxed gathering as well. You'll work better together if you know each other better. Request that everyone meet as a group to discuss ways you can improve. Have regular short-term milestones and discuss how to meet them if you fall behind. For longer term collaborations, check in regularly to see if everyone is happy with progress toward the eventual goal. Try to use fact-based metrics to monitor progress. Don't just ask whether a member did any research, check to see how many pages of notes they took or which sources they found. If a group member isn't completing their work, try to discuss the underlying causes together. See Dealing with Issues for specific situations. . Disagreements are common in any group effort. When conflicts arise, seek consensus from all members on a decision. If you can't reach consensus and need to move forward, at least make sure disagreeing members accept that the group has made a reasonable effort to compromise. If you leave a member upset, it will make further collaboration much harder. Even if there are serious disagreements between collaborators, try to keep your emotions reigned in and forgive people who argue with you. Well timed use of humor can be great for defusing a situation. Use self-deprecating humor or inoffensive jokes only, and don't offend someone by joking around when they're seriously upset.