Often we need to work together as a team and make at least some rapid progress in order to make our next decision. There are a few challenges that can really slow this down however:
- Somebody talks way too much
- Somebody doesn’t talk or contribute at all
- Arguments of being “right” and convincing others
- Problem solving starts (prematurely)
Here is a set of rules that can be called into a collaborative meeting when five or ten minutes of progress needs to occur without these delays.
Rules for Fast Collaboration
1) Take turns
Round-robin works well, just make it clear and fair.
2) Do one thing
Add a post-it, draw a line, move a card, remove something, or maybe reorganize a few together. Pick one of those and then be done.
3) Explain your action
“I <something> because <thinking>“. Don’t argue or convince, just explain.