Collaboration would be a lot easier if it weren’t for the people.

Of course that’s not true. There is no collaboration without people.

So, this means a big part of collaborating effectively is being able to work well with others. There’s a lot of emotional labor in doing this.

People will…

• resist contributing
• contribute too much
• slow you down
• push you too hard
• under-communicate
• over-communicate
• miscommunicate
• try to take over
• feel like you’re taking over
• boss you around
• try to fly under the radar

They will also…

• Bring new perspectives
• Provide feedback
• Value your skills
• Add their skills to yours
• Encourage you
• Challenge you
• Hold you accountable
• Be accountable
• Trust you
• Earn your trust
• Help you be better

Collaborating with other people isn’t easy, but we are wired for connection and we need each other. If the people around you fall into the first list, maybe you should find some “second list people” and spend time with them. It’s worth the effort.