Process and Outcome: Collaboration

Collaboration

An important aspect of effective leadership is collaboration. Good collaboration can create an inclusive environment within a workplace. Collaboration is an ongoing process that includes talking with staff, team members and executives to ensure that a common goal is met. Relationships and trust can be created, interaction and feedback becomes a continuing process, and other perspectives and priorities can be understood. The advantage of collaborating with others is that there is the ability to combine skill, knowledge and creativity as well as draw upon the experience and diverse expertise of others. No leader can do it all.

In an educational institute, such as the college, decisions can be made without consultation or input. An example of this was the deletion of a course within our Office Administration program. A core course was cut by executive with no input or consultation with the instructors or coordinator. It was arbitrarily decided that this course could be cut from the program. This decision was met with hostility, anger, confusion and caused a complete lack of trust between our department and executive. If they can do this, what else will they decide to cut or do? If there was a system of collaboration then the staff, instructors, and coordinator could have voiced their opinions, put together a list of reasons to not cut the course or at the very least, given some feedback as to the position of the department. With the combined expertise, perspectives and opinions of the staff, a more intelligent and informed decision could have been made and mistrust could have been avoided.