Walking in Each Other’s Shoes | The secret to successful collaboration?
I recently read a study that stopped me in my tracks:
97% of employees and executives believe lack of alignment within a team impacts a task or project’s outcome.
First of all, how often do 97% of people agree on ANYTHING? Secondly, it made me think, the challenge isn’t getting teams to agree that alignment is necessary. The challenge is how we get there.
With a world that has gone virtual, our teams have been forced online, which has also yielded significant opportunities for collaboration and digital information-share through tools like Asana, Slack, Google Docs, and more (no, this is not a paid advertisement).
Perhaps the secret to the alignment we all so desire is better collaboration.
Across the organizations that I am honored to serve, I’ve noticed that the teams that value the exchange of perspectives among colleagues with different strengths and motivations are the ones that see greater success.
This might remind you of Philanthropy at Core (sign up for my email list to get it). In stage 3 of this framework for any strategic process, I focus my attention on an organization’s Culture of Philanthropy. That means we look at how the entire organization interacts with and supports the philanthropic goals.
Today, I had the privilege of engaging with, I kid you not, THE quintessential fundraising team- a CEO, Donor Officer, Director of Marketing and Communication, and Head of Planned Giving and Endowment.
Riveted by the ease with which this team laughed and supported each other while workshopping a challenge, I was awestruck when I heard that every team member is responsible for cultivating relationships with donors and raising money.
Here’s what I find worthy of note, consideration, and application:
Intrepid senior leaders care about achieving fundraising goals as much as cultivating joyfulness among their team.
Clear expectations exist around an organizational-wide imperative.
Team members “walk in each other’s shoes.”
Quantitative and qualitative goals are interconnected.
Resources to support team members are available.
Prioritization around high-yield strategies and tactics.
A discipline of measurement, evaluation, and iteration.
Though I kind of love every point on this list, I love #3 the most. How might we “walk in each others’ shoes” more often to strengthen understanding, collaboration, creativity, and joy in fundraising?
Click here to subscribe and keep reading!
