The document discusses the importance of collaboration for internal communication (IC) teams. It states that IC teams need to stop working in isolation and start collaborating in order to maximize their impact. True collaboration involves working together to achieve more than what can be achieved alone. It also requires developing skills for constructive conflict management and creating shared goals to motivate collaboration by recognizing interdependence. Egoless leadership that equips people and sets a direction without dominating can also foster collaboration over directive leadership.

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WHY IS COLLABORATION IMPORTANT?
As explained by one IC professional in our recent survey:
“With reducing resource in IC we need to work to ensure everyone in the
business is a communicator and able to communicate effectively.”
IC teams work tirelessly to get their messages out, to ensure employees are
informed and engaged. But the current ways of working won’t give you the
results you need.
If IC teams are to maximise their impact they need to stop working in isolation
and start collaborating.

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BE CLEAR ON THE MEANING OF
TRUE COLLABORATION
At a fundamental level, collaboration can be viewed as the act of working
together to achieve something that is better than you could
achieve alone.
However, there’s more to it than simply ‘working together’.
There are various ways of working together, and not all are truly
collaborative.

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DEVELOP CAPACITY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Despite being an important ingredient for collaboration, if not managed
constructively, conflict can also be the death of it.
Conflicting interests can weaken commitment, which gradually withers the
relationship, or leads to the opportunistic pursuit of self-interest.

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CREATE THE MOTIVATION TO
To be motivated to collaborate, everyone involved must recognise that
success is not only down to their own actions, but is also dependent on the
activities of the others outside of their team. In other words, to recognise that
there is interdependence.
Without this, individuals would go about their activities without any
collaboration on a common objective, and in areas where interdependence
exists, this will create low levels of efficiency and effectiveness.
COLLABORATE USING SHARED GOALS

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EGOLESS LEADERSHIP
The value of collaboration lies in the opportunity to benefit from the diverse
knowledge, skills and expertise of all of the collaborating parties.
Egoless leaders don’t feel a need to control others, yet are influential; they
provide strong direction yet aren’t dominating.
In contrast to directive leadership, which can stifle collaboration, egoless
leaders set the direction then equip people to get on with it.

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WWW.COMMENT8ENGAGE.COM/COLLABORATE

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Who are Comment8?
+44 (0)1628 533788 @ enquiries@comment8engage.com
Comment8 is Lane4’s internal communication and engagement practice
which is supported by a track record of achievement in the areas of business,
psychology and high level sport.
At Comment8 we know that nothing replaces a proper conversation.
Conversations change people and people change organisations. We want to
help you start, shape, share and keep having conversations. We want people
to understand where they work. We want them to care. We want real
engagement.