Last updated on Jul 8, 2024

Your team is focused on speed, but you value collaboration. How can you ensure both priorities are met?

In today's fast-paced work environment, it's common for teams to prioritize speed in delivering results. However, as someone who values the principles of servant leadership, you understand that collaboration is key to sustainable success. Balancing these two can be challenging, but it's possible with the right approach. Servant leadership, a term coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, emphasizes the leader's role as a servant first, prioritizing the needs of others, especially team members, to enhance their development and performance. By applying this philosophy, you can create an environment where speed and collaboration are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary forces driving your team forward.

1 Align Goals

To harmonize speed with collaboration, begin by aligning your team's goals. Clearly communicate the importance of quick delivery while also emphasizing the value of collaborative efforts. When everyone understands the shared objectives and how they contribute to the bigger picture, they're more likely to work together efficiently. Encourage your team to discuss their individual tasks and how these interconnect with others' work. This way, they can identify potential overlaps or dependencies early on, which helps in streamlining processes and maintaining a swift pace without sacrificing teamwork.

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Rakesh Mehta, PMP

Delivery Leader / Strategic Thinker/ Speaker / Adobe Commerce Certified Business Practitioner / Linkedin Top Leadership Voice
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When both speed and collaboration are valued equally, it's important to establish aligned goals for the team. This can be achieved by clearly communicating expectations, priorities, and desired outcomes to each team member. Additionally, setting performance metrics and regularly tracking progress towards these goals can help ensure everyone is working towards the same objectives, and can help keep both speed and collaboration on track.

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2 Open Dialogue

Maintaining an open dialogue is crucial for servant leaders who want to foster both speed and collaboration. Create a space where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback. This can be achieved through regular meetings or an open-door policy. By encouraging transparent communication, you enable your team to address issues quickly, share knowledge, and find innovative solutions together. Moreover, when team members feel heard and understood, they're more likely to engage in cooperative problem-solving and work more effectively at a fast pace.

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Arpan Roy

Leadership Development Specialist, Helping Emerging Leaders and Middle Managers Lead with Impact, Industry Mentor, Workshop Facilitation, International Speaker, Amazon best-selling author
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It’s important in any scenario to have a candid and an open conversation with the team about the priorities and values. As much as you may value something (like collaboration), people need to be able to be onboard with it and internalise it. When you discuss with the team about the goals and key outcomes, focus on the ways to achieve this. Get the team to consider the benefits of combining speed with collaboration, even ask them to weigh in on this approach. Once they start visualising how this approach is going to work, they start engaging with this approach more.

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3 Delegate Wisely

Effective delegation is a key aspect of ensuring speed and collaboration. As a servant leader, assess your team's strengths and allocate tasks accordingly. This not only speeds up work by playing to each member's expertise but also fosters a sense of trust and empowerment. When team members feel responsible for their part of the project, they're more motivated to collaborate and share their unique insights, which can lead to a better overall outcome. Remember, delegation is not just about distributing tasks; it's about entrusting your team with meaningful responsibilities that encourage cooperative engagement.

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4 Streamline Processes

Streamlining processes is essential for achieving quick results without undermining collaboration. Evaluate existing workflows and eliminate unnecessary steps that may cause delays or confusion. Implement systems that facilitate easy sharing of information and resources among team members. For instance, using a centralized platform where everyone can access project updates can save time and encourage collective input. By simplifying the way work is done, you allow your team to focus on what truly matters: delivering quality results efficiently through collaborative effort.

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5 Foster Trust

Building a foundation of trust is vital for a team that aims for speed and values collaboration. Trust empowers team members to take initiative and make decisions swiftly without constant oversight. As a servant leader, demonstrate reliability by meeting your commitments and being transparent about your decision-making process. Encourage your team to do the same. When trust is present, there's less need for micromanagement, allowing for faster progress and a collaborative culture where everyone supports each other's contributions.

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6 Celebrate Wins

Lastly, recognizing and celebrating wins, big or small, reinforces the importance of both speed and collaboration. Take the time to acknowledge individual and group achievements that contribute to the team's rapid progress. This not only boosts morale but also motivates your team to continue working together effectively. Celebrations can be simple shout-outs during meetings or more formal recognition programs. By showing appreciation for your team's hard work, you solidify the bond between speed and collaboration as dual priorities in achieving success.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Your team is focused on speed, but you value collaboration. How can you ensure both priorities are met?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Align Goals

2 Open Dialogue

3 Delegate Wisely

4 Streamline Processes

5 Foster Trust

6 Celebrate Wins

7 Here’s what else to consider

Servant Leadership

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Your team is focused on speed, but you value collaboration. How can you ensure both priorities are met?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Align Goals

2 Open Dialogue

3 Delegate Wisely

4 Streamline Processes

5 Foster Trust

6 Celebrate Wins

7 Here’s what else to consider

Servant Leadership

Rate this article

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