Collaboration Part 5: Earning Autonomy

We’re continuing the Collabroation Guide, stepping through actionable ways of helping your team collaborate. Let’s talk more about autonomy and how to earn it.

We’ve all had projects take longer than promised and seen days go by without knowing of any progress. In any project, we’re preventing the 3Ws (wait, worry, wonder) with everyone on the team. Whether installing new kitchen cabinets or building a new product, we want to know what is happening.

We don’t want to hover over anyone’s shoulders, nor vice versa—the solution is frequent communication. The frequency of communication helps reduce any wait, worry, and wonder.

Earning Autonomy

Before anyone can have any autonomy, trust needs to be built, right?

We need to know if we’re all thinking the same thing. We shouldn’t guess, assume, or hope. We should communicate; frequently enough.

Over the next few days, I’ll share three methods to dial up our collaborative communication.

The point is

As we work, we build trust. Trust is the foundation of any Autonomy is sitting on a foundation of trust. Communicate often to build this trust.