How to be an integral key player: Fostering effective

communication & collaboration

John Slone, MPP, CDFM

What fuels high performance teams?

• High-performance teams put faith in: • 1) healthy communication• 2) spirit of collaboration

What is the nature of the communication?

• Three main circumstances arise for communicating on a team:• Sharing • Receiving• Responding

• Maintain open lines of communication. Say, “Let me know if you run into problems.”

Less of that…More of this

• Direct, honest & concise- be very clear • No paddling. Describe the action you want taken

and give the person all the specific information necessary, including the who, what, when, where and how of the situation.

• Two-way• Constant• Encourage thinking as a team• Achieving common goals; team goals over

individual goals

Reach maximum potential

• Benefits• Increased buy-in• Higher productivity • Creativity

Increase your productivity and effectiveness

• Return on investment is what the management wants.

• A shared sense of purpose• Thrive in a collaborative environment• Your attitude and how you treat others play

a significant role in your career growth

Recognizing ways that you could become a more effective

collaborator• Proactively remove all communication barriers• Set some “ground rules” on how to effectively

communicate• No to takedowns, Yes to “teachable moments”• Try to recognize ways that you could become a

more effective collaborator with people above and below you in the chain of command.