We just happenned to have planned a trip to South Dakota that coincided with Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park. What an amazing thing this is to attend; as a matter of fact we already have our plans made for next year. I had never heard of this prior to our doing some “research” for our trip. I can assure you that nothing like this happens in Atlanta, GA! Cowboys (yeah the real deal) round up the bison into the buffalo corrals where they are tagged, etc. Round up is the management tool that is used to adjust the herd size annually so that the herd does not out number the resources for them (ie land, etc.) In November 500 or so are auctioned off. Attending this event reminded me and reaffirmed what collaboration is. I saw it over and over again!
We sat in traffic before sunrise to attend as did many others. This event draws 11000 – 15000 people. BUT no horn honking and impatience here. Folks just understand that this is part of it. They stop their cars and engines in long waits and even get out of the car to talk to their fellow traffic jam neighbors. Patience is key in any collaborative effort!
At the “porta potties” there was no fighting or anxiety either. Each “potty” had its own line. If you got in a slow one, well so be it. That was just your “burden” to bear but no one else had to hear your complaining about that, or receive a push out of line because of it. We all got to know each other, where we were from, and it was honestly a pleasant wait. “Getting to know you” is also key in any collaborative effort!
The cowboys and crew cooked breakfast and lunch. YUMMY! Pancakes, Sausage, BBQ Bison, Baked Beans and Cookies–WOW was this great. Lines formed and we got our food. AND we got a smile also. The folks that work this thing are amazing. They each do their job in the food line, depend on their team mates to do their part and you recieve great product (food) and great service (smile!). Team work and trusting each other all a key part of collaboration!
Teamwork and collaboration really came into play watching the cowboys round up 1500 bison. That was an amazing thing to watch and hear and experience. Truly team work has never been shown to me in a better way. Each person, on a horse or pick up orchestrated beautifully their position and their role in rounding up these huge beasts! AND when some of the bison got fiesty and turned on the cowboys, the cowboys just backed off and did it again. No finger pointing about who let ‘em get away, no discussion on who was going to do the extra tasks, none of that. They just all kicked in, cooperated, collaborated and when all the bison were corralled and we applauded and yelled they all took the credit equally for a job well done! Loved that lesson– collaborative efforts and successes are about the entire team!
The participants were collaborative as well. I was shocked (and still am) to tell you that after all this celebrating, eating and drinking that NO trash was found left behind. No one had to tell anyone to throw their stuff away and by the way, please hit the trash can. These folks knew to do that– it is common sense, it is good stewardship and they were totally accountable for the trash they had created so they took care of it. I was in such disbelief that I actually took pictures of the clean grass to prove it! In any collaborative effort there has to be a sense of ownership and accountability–you should not have to be told every thing!
The entire event was amazing and I would encourage you to google it and click on the website for more info. I will be putting my videos up on Youtube as well. Happy collaborating Cowboys! YEEHAW!
October 7, 2008
Betsy blogged on an article she read on the social effects of sharing “tidbits” of information via collaborative tools like Facebook, Twitter, etc. I love the blog and the content from the article in the NY Times that she refers to by Clive Thompson. I have previously blogged on the importance of allowing this type of information exchange and display. Remote teams need to feel connected and need to know something about each other to feel loyal to one another and to begin to truly collaborate. You probably chat with people you see day to day in the office, why not have some repor with those that are across the country and around the globe. The summary is what I love; it states in conclusion that:
Clive Thompson’s article illustrates that ambient awareness can be achieved by frequent electronic contact, and can have positive effects on relationships. This is especially relevant to virtual teams, who often struggle to enable personal contact among members. But that contact is crucial for team building, trust, and cohesion. We suggest moving away from the matter-of-fact, directive email that may be the typical communication between team members. See if your team can gain a better, deeper connection among team members by developing communication in this new way.
Thanks to Betsy for the blog and thanks to Michael Sampson for directing me to this blog from his blog today! Happy Collaborating
September 19, 2008
I am currently on a team of business owners that is assisting a national chain on the challenge of pulling in more women and women business owners into their store. It is a fascinating team to be on. There are 50 or so of us broken up into a few teams focusing on different areas–small business, financing, home products, green products, etc. Our team is on small business solutions. I always feel after a meeting like we are truly collaborating and moving forward. Since we did not know each other, we did not know what to expect from one another, but we have all been open to the fact that each of us has something to offer. AND we have been right. It is incredible to watch action items being taken and completed, ideas built upon and some awesome ideas are now being presented to this company. All of the team came together recently and we all presented what our ideas were. One idea was better than then one prior but not as good as the next. It just kept getting better and better. Then energy and intelligence of the women is amazing. BUT what this is truly showing me, again is that sharing ideas is ALWAYS the best. No one is hoarding an idea, but all “think out loud” and then we all build on it. The ideas just keep getting better and better and more fine tuned. By the end of October we will have our product lines in place; I cannot wait to see what is the final product. I guarentee it will be on time and on scope. Collaboration in action going on here!!!!
September 11, 2008
Many of us have had the pleasure of working in an environment that has the “work yourself out of a job” mantra. Years ago I had that experience and so have others I know. We did not have blogs or wikis or even the internet then (I am dating myself). BUT what we did have was a spirit of collaboration and sharing. Fear had not set in and we did not feel like the act of hoarding information made our job secured. We did not want to hear that we could never leave because no one else would know what to do. We wanted to prep the next person in behind us so that we could KEEP MOVING FORWARD also. Hoarding information is a sure fire way to keep yourself stagnit in the workplace. Collaborating, sharing, training is the way to be known as the “expert”, the ”go to person”, the “team player” and the person most likely to keep moving on up! Today we have blogs, wikis, and all kinds of tools that help us to collaborate. BUT we first have to embrace the feeling of collaboration, the appreciation for what it can to for us and for others before we can ever tackle the tools that are out there. What comes first the chicken or the egg? What comes first a spirit of wanting to collaborate or the tool? I say the spirit of collaboration makes the tool work; it is not the other way around. Happy Collaborating!
June 20, 2008
