Elizabeth Gold
Commonwealth Bank
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Barriers to effective collaboration
learning the topic
15 minutes
Recognizing the problem and its cause is the first step toward a solution.
Before we begin to learn a new approach to collaboration, we suggest that you look at the significant barriers reducing the effectiveness of your interaction with others.
Before we begin to learn a new approach to collaboration, we suggest that you look at the significant barriers reducing the effectiveness of your interaction with others.
Your experience
Think of a situation when you had to work with other people but felt dissatisfied afterwards. It could be a conversation with a subordinate or a colleague, team meeting, negotiation or something else.
- What made you feel dissatisfied?
- What prevented you from achieving your goal? What external barriers (time, space, distance) did you encounter? What internal barriers (your attitudes, habits, values, knowledge) prevented you from achieving the desired outcome?
- What actions by your colleagues created obstacles and prevented effective collaboration?
collaboration is not always easy
TYPES OF BARRIERS
Barriers can be objective (for example, distance and knowledge) and subjective (psychology).
Origins
Time and Space
Education and experience
Examples
Habitual behavior
Subconscious defense mechanisms
Subconscious defense mechanisms
Geographical distance
Time zones
Generation gap
Cultural differences
Time zones
Generation gap
Cultural differences
Asymmetrical access to information
Uneven distribution of hard/soft skills
Business vs. technology
Stereotypes
Uneven distribution of hard/soft skills
Business vs. technology
Stereotypes
Status
Greed
Fear
Fight or flight (or freeze)
Greed
Fear
Fight or flight (or freeze)
Distance
Knowledge
Psychology
Quick thinking
Slow thinking
System 1
System 2
human cognition is based on two systems of thinking
- Constantly scans our environment.
- Fast but fallible.
- Works automatically, uses shortcuts, is prone to impulses.
- Intuitive.
- Only used for specific problems when necessary.
- Slow but reliable.
- Good for analysis and complex problem solving, relies on self-control.
- Counter-intuitive.
The necessity and the advantages of cooperation are well-known. However, the unconscious mind can often obstruct reason. Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman argues that two different cognitive systems govern human behavior. While System 2 drives us towards cooperation, System 1 can propel us towards seclusion and confrontation. According to Kahneman, in most cases, it is, unfortunately, System 1 that wins.
In order to successfully overcome a barrier, you must see the problem and understand it. Or, as psychologists say, "articulate it." We’ve already demonstrated this. Today we have articulated the barriers to collaboration, and you will remember them, recognize them and, little by little, begin to overcome them.
The second strategy is the development of new habits to replace old ones, updating your System 1. This difficult path requires consistent effort, concentration, patience and the support of loved ones. However, it allows you to get to the next level of personal efficacy and become a true star of teaming. When your natural reaction to meeting a stranger is the desire to share knowledge or to find out what makes them tick, you will feel that you have reached new heights. We hope this program will enable your transformation.
To articulate
To form new practices and habits
How to overcome barriers to collaboration?
Let's consider two strategies:
