Productive Collaborator - Essential Skills Program

I Am a Productive Collaborator

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Welcome

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Welcome to the Essential Skills Program’s “I Am a Productive Collaborator” training!
This training course has been designed to scroll like a website page, along with a drop-down menu to show each section and your progress. The sections are required, but the pace is up to you!

You will go through a total of 5 videos, on average 2-7 minutes long. All videos have transcripts and closed captions in addition to audio.

Each video is followed by open-ended or multiple-choice questions. Some of the open-ended questions are self-reflections just for you, while others may be completed in group settings, either online or in-person. This will be up to your instructor or trainer.

The learning outcome of this training will help you understand:

what being a productive collaborator means
why employers value it
how to build a mindset for productive collaboration
how to use action steps to practice the behaviors of productive collaboration

At the end of the training, you will provide feedback on your experience.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

Learning Outcome

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Works effectively on a team by acknowledging the unique skills of each team member.

Think about a time when…

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I Am a Productive Collaborator – Introduction

Self-Reflection

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Think about a time when you had to work within a group to complete a goal or project. Did you get to decide how you wanted to help out, or were tasks assigned to you? Did you like the experience, or would you have wanted things to go differently?

What’s Next?

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Now that you have reflected on your past experience, move on to the next section to learn how you can adopt a mindset that supports collaboration.

Mindset: Ask yourself…

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Your mindset is your overall attitude and beliefs about how you view the world or your work.
Watch the video to learn how you can adopt a mindset that will help you effectively collaborate with others.

I Am a Productive Collaborator – Mindset

Self-Reflection

Open ended question

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What role do you normally like to fill when working with a team? Do you prefer interacting with people, thoughts, or actions? Are you able to change or adjust what you normally like to do in order to help the team out?

Interactive Reflection

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You can think through this question as a self-reflection, or you can discuss it in an online meeting like Zoom, or in person with a group. Make sure you follow your instructor or trainer’s specific guidelines.

How does your mindset influence productive collaboration? Complete the sentences:

If I understand my strengths and the needs of the group, then I can:
If I only focus on my strengths, or assume my strengths are better than other people’s, then when I’m working in a group I might:

Knowledge Check

Multiple choice

True/False

Multiple choice

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Which of the following answers accurately describes a people-focused collaborator?

Comes up with new ideas, list pros/cons, shares expertise and knowledge
Leads teams, interacts with co-workers, networks with outside partners
Finds solutions, makes practical plans, follows deadlines, shares outcomes

A thought-focused collaborator comes up with new ideas, lists pros/cons, and shares expertise/ knowledge.

True
False

All of the following are the main characteristics of an action-focused collaborator, EXCEPT:

Finds solutions
Discusses thoughts
Makes practical plans
Follow deadlines
Shares outcomes

Action Steps

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Action steps are small, practical activities you can do to help match your mindset with your behaviors.

Watch the video to learn how you can practice action steps that will help you increase your collaboration skills.

I Am a Productive Collaborator – Action Steps

Knowledge Check

Multiple response

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Check all that apply
The action steps you should take to be a productive collaborator include:

Know your strengths and role preferences when collaborating
Identify the role that other team members are filling
Plan on taking the role that you always take in groups
Identify any gaps and coordinate with the team how to fill those gaps
Volunteer to take a role, even if it isn’t part of your skill set

Check all that apply
Just like the example of creating a new check-in policy, what are some ways you can identify the roles that are filled and what the group still needs?

Understand what tasks need to be done for the desired outcome/project
Notice if any team members jump right in to start completing certain tasks
Assign team members to roles based on their job descriptions only
Think about what skills you have used in the past and what ones might be needed now
Insist that the role you usually fill is the best way to reach the outcome or complete the project

Practice! Extra Resources

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If you are not sure yet what your preferred role on a team is, or would like to explore this more, we’ve included a web link from Indeed.com to a broader definition of team roles based on the three main categories of People-Oriented, Thought-Oriented, and Action-Oriented: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/belbin-team-roles

If you decide to try out the Belbin Assessment, keep in mind this assessment is not free and is run by a company that has different versions of the assessment based on the country you live in.
Please note: This is completely optional and is a resource provided outside of the Essential Skills Program

If you would like to learn more about teams and how to better interact with one another, the TeamSight assessment provides insights into your natural patterns along with tips and coaching. Read more here: https://teamsight.co/ and click on the button in the upper right for a FREE trial.

Please note: This is completely optional and is a resource provided outside of the Essential Skills Program

Scenario: What would you do?

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In this section, you’ll watch a video about a work situation and then reflect on ways to respond to it, using what you learned about how your mindset and action steps play an important role in being open to collaboration.

I Am a Productive Collaborator – Skill Scenario

Interactive Discussion

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Open ended question

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These questions can be completed in an online meeting like Zoom, or in person with a group in a guided discussion. Make sure you follow your instructor or trainer’s specific guidelines.

At first, Jessica and Michael both felt their assigned roles weren’t a good match with their strengths. What steps did they take in order to find the best way forward for the group?

What might have happened if they hadn’t shared their thoughts with their boss?

Self-Reflection: What would you do?

Open ended question (Individual reflection)

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Imagine yourself in a similar situation at work or during a project. Why is it so important to see everyone’s unique skills in order to have a more productive time collaborating on a team?

Optional Interactive Discussion

Discussion

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This optional question is designed to help you think broadly about the concepts you are learning. You may participate in this discussion by meeting with others in person or by using an online meeting tool, such as Zoom, depending on your instructor’s guidelines.

Sometimes, people have certain roles on teams they are not suited to, and the roles can’t be changed. What are some strategies and action steps you could use to try and create the best outcomes possible in a situation like this?

Summary: Your goals…

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In this last section, you will wrap up what you learned about collaboration and then reflect on your goals. Start by watching the video.

I Am a Productive Collaborator – Scenario Debrief

Goals

Open ended question

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As the host mentioned, knowing your strengths and what type of role you like to fill on a team, paying attention to the unique skills of others, noticing any gaps that need to be filled, and being willing to make adjustments will all help ensure you are a productive collaborator. After watching the video series, what are some of your personal goals to continue to work well within teams?