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Continuous Collaboration

Collaboration Principles

  1. Stop judging, start helping - If you don't like the way something is, or what someone is doing, complaining isn't going to change it. A collaborative environment requires us all to identify how we can contribute. Focus your energy on what you can do to make the situation better, rather than why the situation is bad.
  2. Assume positive intent - It's easy to infer a negative intent. It's always better to act on the basis that the actions and words of others were meant to produce a positive outcome. We all make mistakes. Give benefit of the doubt.
  3. No side chats - When discussing work, do so in a public forum - e.g. the relevant Teams channel rather than a private chat. Regardless of who the question or comment is for, it benefits everyone involved in the work to hear that it has been said.
  4. Over-communicate - Being bombarded by messages is bad, but not being informed of important information is much worse. And if it is worth saying once, it is worth saying again and again. Just because you have told someone something, it doesn't mean they have remembered it or understood it. Over-communicating isn't oversharing though; succinctness is kindness, critical detail should follow.
  5. Ask stupid questions - There are no stupid questions - if someone is explaining something and you're unsure about it, ask them to explain it again. If they are not explaining in a way that resonates with you, ask if they can explain it in a way that does. If someone has told you something and you don't remember what they said, be comfortable asking them again - we are all growing and you won't be able to remember everything you are told.
  6. Be transparent & informative - Making information available to others is transparency. Directly telling people that information is being informant. Good communication requires both.
  7. Offer and ask for feedback - We all need to improve. Useful feedback is a gift of immeasurable value. You'll get more of it if you go looking for it. And remember, you don't have to like it.
  8. Call it out - If someone isn't following one of these principles, let that person know. Remind each other what great collaboration and communication looks like. We all get it wrong some times.

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