Collaboration Sucks

Why we've gotten collaboration in the workforce all wrong.

Business leaders, stop calling for more collaboration. It doesn't work and frankly, it's a waste of time. In business we have confused diverse thinking for inclusionary pandering. A principle that is meant to bring different individuals, with different expertise and experiences together to work jointly to solve a problem has lost its way. It has turned into rooms, or zoom calls, bloated with people who feel they need to be included. They want to hear what is said, feel heard, and wanting the opportunity to credit for the output without taking responsibility. But this is just not how problems get solved . If you are looking to truly benefit from the principle of diverse thinking and working together to solve a problem, find a better way.

Make it intentional. Select specific and diverse individuals. Assign responsibilities to each person. Give them accountability, not just credit. And give them a joint goal to work towards collectively.

So let's stop calling it collaboration. Stop inviting everyone from the team. And stop making it a free-for-all.

It's not collaboration you are looking for after all, it's collective problem solving.