Collaboration

The Ultimate Guide for Working with Teams

We are all leaders. The Saturn Culture Index (SCI) helps individual contributors effectively work within teams. The SCI helps team members identify their blind spots, become more effective collaborators, and produce results. To identify your strengths and improvement opportunities.

Take the Free Team Member Self-Assessment

Saturn Culture Index

The Saturn Culture Index™ pillars and micro-practices are listed below or you can Download the SCI

Seven Pillars of Collaboration & Culture

  1. Inspires with a clear vision and roadmap
  2. Listens with openness and curiosity
  3. Speaks with transparency and authenticity
  4. Facilitates healthy debates and meetings
  5. Makes Decisions inclusively and effectively
  6. Delegates effectively & is accountable
  7. Supports Others in developing and succeeding

Collaboration Micro-Practices

1. Inspires with a Clear Vision and Roadmap

1.1  Embodies and shares a compelling vision of the future.
1.2  Communicates about projects in a way that others understand the goal and how they fit in.
1.3  Establishes clear milestones to reach their goals.
1.4  Establishes clear priorities so that they know what to work on first.
1.5  Establishes metrics and indicators to stay on track and measure outcomes.

2. Listens with Openness & Curiosity

2.1  Brings curiosity and a willingness to be influenced.
2.2  Approachable and open to critical feedback on their ideas, decisions and leadership style. Willing to learn from mistakes.
2.3  Digs for others’ underlying interests and concerns.
2.4  Listens to ideas fairly, regardless of who is presenting them.
2.5  Empathizes with others and notices people’s emotions.
2.6  Listens in a way that people feel heard.

3. Speaks with Transparency & Authenticity

3.1  Clearly expresses where they stand on issues.
3.2  Shares their opinions and concerns, even if lacking certainty or unpopular.
3.3  Owns their opinions as opinions. Does not position their opinions as facts to prove their point.
3.4  Addresses challenging issues promptly. Names the elephant in the room.
3.5  Gives honest feedback. Shares their perspective when they are dissatisfied with people’s work or collaboration.
3.6  Cleans up issues with others. Does not harbor resentment.

4. Facilitates Healthy Debates & Meetings

4.1  Leads effective meetings. Clarifies the objectives and avoids unnecessary rabbit holes.
4.2  Stays present and avoids cell phone and computer distractions.
4.3  Embraces creative conflict. Does not shy away from passionate debate.
4.4  Draws the quiet people out.
4.5  Brainstorms with others to generate creative solutions.
4.6  Has sufficient understanding of an issue and others’ opinions before advocating for a specific solution.

5. Makes Decisions Inclusively & Effectively

5.1  Includes the right people in decision-making.
5.2  Considers others’ opinions and concerns before deciding. Respects people’s roles and expertise.
5.3  Has a bias for action. Willing to try out ideas and see what is learned, e.g. rapid prototyping.
5.4  Makes good and timely decisions. Takes appropriate risks even if all the information is not available.
5.5  Once a decision is made by the team, fully embraces the decisions even if they would have chosen differently. Supports the decision and doesn’t talk negatively about it or the decision-makers.
5.6  Establishes clear next steps.
5.7  Proactively informs people who are impacted by decisions.

6. Delegates Effectively & Is Accountable

6.1  Ensures commitments are clear, realistic, and agreed upon (who is doing what by when).
6.2  Does what they say they will do. Follows up.
6.3  Tracks progress on commitments to them and ensures completion.
6.4  Renegotiates when commitments are in jeopardy. Avoids surprising others with bad news or last-minute delays.
6.5  Collaborates well with others and respects others’ autonomy.
6.6  Holds people accountable. When commitments are missed, discusses what went wrong and gets a new commitment.
6.7  When collaborating with others, gives helpful feedback (both positive and negative).

7. Supports Others in Developing & Succeeding

7.1  Motivates people to bring their best and strive for excellence.
7.2  Offers frequent and genuine appreciation for people’s contributions.
7.3  When people are failing, offers support and resources (instead of beating them up).
7.4  Debriefs issues. Assumes positive intent and helps others learn from mistakes.
7.5  Coaches, challenges and supports people to develop their skills and careers.
7.6  Does not talk negatively behind people’s backs (no triangulation). When they have an issue, they speak directly to the person.