“An Exchange of Ideas” + Successful Collabo

Author: Leah J. Singer

Ch-ch-changesssss are-a happening ’round these Goodspero parts and is certainly a dream come true for all the Type A personality types out there [you know who you are…;)] Sunday was the kick off to our biweekly power meetings in which we talk about our goals for the next two weeks and exchange an abundance of ideas. After all, what better way to exemplify what Goodspero is all about than to become living and breathing testaments of it, right? In hindsight, I realize what made our brainstorming power sesh fruitful, productive, and enjoyable, which was our effective teamwork and the respectful exchange of ideas.

What does a good team look like anyway? Would you say it is a blend of the introvert and extrovert, the leader and the observer, the balance of the opposites? But what if your team is full of leaders, or extroverts, or observers? Even more disadvantageous, what if you don’t get along with any of your team members? *gasp* an unfamiliar notion, I know. Furthermore, from our sesh, I’ve determined that it’s not so much the balance of complementary personalities and attributes which make a team successful, but more so having:

1. Shared vision, focus, & values
2. Mutual respect & accountability
3. Boundary awareness
4. Collaborative work style
5. High maturity level
6. Strong active listening skills
7. Humbleness

From the number of group projects I’ve had to endure, it seems as though these attributes make the idea sharing space a safe one. With these qualities present, group work can be super awesome and incredibly gratifying! As for now, let’s chalk up our nightmarish group activities as insightful experiences which helped us determine the type of group members we would like to be surrounded by and those which we should strive to be.