Communication and Collaboration

What is communication and collaboration?

Communication and collaboration require the clear exchange of information and transparent discussion of what a worker needs to do their job successfully. This involves collaborative efforts to support each worker’s success.

Why is communication and collaboration important?

There are many benefits to having people leaders effectively trained in communication and collaboration:

  • Workers clearly understand their tasks and responsibilities.
  • Tasks are more likely to be done correctly and safely.
  • Priorities are clear for both teams and individuals.
  • Reduced errors from miscommunication.
  • Each worker’s potential is optimized.
  • Challenges are identified and resolved more quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Invest time to improve your emotional intelligence skills. This can reduce stress and help those around you feel and perform better. (Learn more about enhancing emotional intelligence).
  • Pursue leadership coaching, mentorship and training.
  • Discuss challenging situations with a trusted colleague, while maintaining appropriate privacy and confidentiality. An objective perspective can help you find ways to approach a difficult situation.
  • Psychologically safe leadership requires up-front time and investment. Prioritizing these meetings will help you proactively address problems when they come up.
  • Schedule meetings in advance. Set time aside so you’re not scrambling to find last minute options in your schedule. Meeting times can always be adjusted as needed.
  • Set a clear meeting agenda and time limit (for example, 30 minutes) to keep the meeting focused.
  • Remember to prioritize time for your team members to bring their questions or concerns forward for discussion in a safe, supportive space.
  • Your role as a leader is to mitigate unnecessary fear or concern. Ask workers about their concerns and listen carefully. Ensure you understand by asking direct questions. Share the information you can. Even if you don’t have details you can share, acknowledge their concerns and let them know you will update them as soon as possible. Avoiding workers’ concerns can cultivate fear.
  • Be clear about the information you can share and when you can share it. Being open about what you know (and don’t know) helps build trust.
  • When you are unsure of how to appropriately respond to your workers’ concerns, talk to your leader for direction. They can help you manage uncertainty.
  • If you don’t have information to share yet, be transparent in sharing this common ground with workers. Let workers know you’re in the same boat and will share updates when you can. Even if you don’t have the answers right away, they’ll feel reassured knowing you’re keeping them in mind.

Action

Next steps: Committing to communication and collaboration as a leader

We invite you to complete the Psychologically Safe Leader Assessment (PSLA) to learn more about your current leadership skills with respect to communication and collaboration. By completing this confidential self-assessment, you can identify key areas to improve your psychologically safe leadership skills.

▸ The following tips can help you improve and expand your communication and collaboration:
  • Build your emotional intelligence.
  • Adapt to different learning styles.
  • Conduct performance reviews with each of your direct reports.
  • Schedule regular one-to-one meetings with all your direct reports.
  • Keep workers up to date on any proposed or actual changes that may impact their work.
  • Be transparent. Share all applicable information with workers while maintaining confidentiality and following privacy legislation.
  • Discuss concerns brought forward by workers with your supervisors, as required, and ask for help managing workers’ uncertainty and fear.
  • Connect regularly with workers to help maximize their capabilities and potential on the job and seek regular input on their professional development goals.
  • Foster two-way communication channels.
  • Ask for feedback on what may currently be challenging or frustrating for your direct reports.
  • Provide regular positive and constructive feedback to support individual worker growth and development.
  • Increase employee involvement and influence by actively encouraging workers’ suggestions for new workplace experiences they may benefit from (for example, specialized committee work).
  • Provide opportunities for workers to increase their interpersonal skills at work.
  • Show appreciation by recognizing individual and team successes.