Brief Summary of the Intentional Collaboration 5-Step System
Step 1) Self-evaluation: am I ready / intending to collaborate?
This step involves an evaluation which asks questions that aims to discover whether you are ready to be open to new information or a different perspective. If the score is high enough you may proceed to the next step. If not, you will need to re-evaluate your assumptions before proceeding through the system. If the purpose of your communication is to prove your point of view then you are not ready to collaborate. If you are grounded in your perspective yet you are open enough to potential greater possibilities or avoiding possible pitfalls about your current approach in advance you may proceed. Compelling data is given to showcase the power, conditions, and necessity of thinking about solutions from multiple perspectives.
Step 2) Understanding perception styles and modes
This is the core education component of the Intentional Collaboration system. People use different modes of perceiving and communicating information. There are also many thinking talents or “strengths” and several cognitive methods to pursue problem solving. There are four primary ways of analyzing information and many personality types which express how that information is communicated. Cultural and demographic considerations are included as one’s background will influence perception, thought process and communication of ideas. Often awareness of the different elements of this step alone are enough reach heightened levels of teamwork and synergy. However further mastery of each element will result in even greater and faster results.
Step 3) Identifying your own and other people’s perception styles and modes
Taking the core component from step two you identify your own modes and styles of perceiving, processing, and communicating information. Then you consider your team. As an individual or group exercise you identify your team member’s methods of perceiving, processing, and communicating. Through this method you can visually see and identify problem areas as well as synergistic areas between team members not yet explored.
Step 4) Altering your perception and communication to meet others’ needs
Knowing what your team needs to understand you, you can change your methods of communication as well as be more open to their input then you had been previously. Your team can do the same in how they work with you and with each other. The results of this step lead to higher levels of teamwork, productivity, results and loyalty among team members. As people feel more listened to and valued they are more likely to work for and be loyal to the team. Their ideas are welcomed and they feel like they are making a difference. There’s one last step.
Step 5) Evaluating feedback
Nobody is perfect. When there are more sides of a problem or a solution being considered the end results are often better or significantly better. But there will always be room for improvement. Those groups who are dedicated to improvement will achieve their results and goals faster than others. As the workplace and the world is dynamic the continuing process of improvement will be dynamic as well to meet the changing environment of the group both internally and externally. Steps two through five will need to be refined to continually meet group goals.
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