Foster a collaborative work environment

DQ 5-1 responses

Q1. What practices, described by Northouse, would foster a collaborative work environment?

A1. Northouse (2019) defines a collaborative climate as “one in which members can stay problem focused, listen to and understand one another, feel free to take risks, and be willing to compensate for one another.”

Q2. Discuss why these practices are the best to use in this situation as opposed to other practices.

A2. Within a team leadership paradigm, using collaborative skills are a great way to work together, bounce ideas off one another and by so doing the group is able to be creative and have more minds to vet any issues or benefits (Northouse, 2019). Vogl (2003), aptly and succinctly puts it like this “Diversity equals stability.” By having a collaborative team, the diversity of the whole enables the group to solve problems better because there is more knowledge, experience and points of view to draw from. Obviously, this is different than a top down leadership scenario such as a military exercise or a municipal government, but still within those situations a collaborative team approach can be a good way to problem solve quickly and effectively.

Northouse, P. (2019) Leading public organizations. Custom Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

Vogl, R. (2003). A primer of ecological principles. Cypress, CA: Pyro Unlimited.

2

Northouse explains that a collaborative work environment is one where the workers within the workplace are able to work cohesively to problem solve, as well as be able to understand, compensate for one-another and take necessary risks (2019). Collaborative work environments are rare and prove to be effective within the workplace because employees have a sense of freedom and are more likely to succeed. The best thing that can be done here is allowing fresh ideas, and different perspectives from within the team be able to flow freely in order to create more opportunity to benefit from one-another. This is another shape of diversity and having this allows the group to use knowledge of different subject areas to shape an idea and come up with solutions to a problem. This can also be seen as active problem-solving abilities which leaders tend to rank highly on their profiles. This is more of a collaborative environment which helps fosters trust and helps build cohesiveness among a team.

Northouse, P. (2019) Leading public organizations. Custom Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

3

A collaborative work environment is an environment of a team working collaboratively with one another, staying problem focused, listening and understanding one another, and feeling free into taking risks (Northouse, 2019). In order to foster a collaborative environment, leaders must develop trusting relationships that are based on honesty, consistency, openness, and respect (Northouse, 2019). An effective team has individuals with fundamental characteristics that are integrated throughout the team (Northouse, 2019). Team members are individuals with their unique attributes that they can use for the team. Meaning, that it takes individuals to make a team that can provide different ideas and talents towards the main goal. Each member may have a different goal in mind, however, it will take a leader to integrate these goals together for the purpose of the main goal. Provide a climate for workers that makes them feel comfortable and safe to take healthy business risks. Let them branch out. The work environment needs to be comfortable because they spend most of their time and energies away from their families to be here.

Reference

Northouse, P. (2019) Leading public organizations. Custom Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE