The Four-Way Test for Healthy Collaboration
Collaboration can make 1 + 1 = 3. But in order to reach that shared gain, there will be trade-offs. Whether it’s at work, at home or in the community, collaboration can sometimes feel like a painful tug-of-war between your needs and the needs of others.
Consider the case of John.
John is a member of a sales team that has evolved over the past two years from its previously independent, self-directed culture. Now the team leader quotes the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” On the back of the team leader’s business card, it says: Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness. – Napoleon Hill
This aligns with John’s values, but he is facing pressure to make money right now. His wife just lost her job and finances are tight. John knows that he could sell more if he wasn’t in so many meetings, didn’t have to use the CRM software and wasn’t helping to onboard a new person to the team. In the back of his mind, he’s thinking, self-preservation is the first law of nature. He feels caught in a tug-of-war between sacrifice and self-interest
Finding the Right Balance
Have you ever experienced this tension between what you give and what you need when you’re collaborating with others? It can be especially difficult when the culture of the team or organization seems to be heavily appreciative of one mindset over the other.
Perhaps the answer lies in the code developed in the 1930s by Herbert Taylor and then adopted worldwide by Rotary International as “The Four Way Test.” Rotary is of the most collaborative organizations and has brought immeasurable value to communities around the world by leveraging the diverse contributions of volunteering professionals.
Here’s what the test entails:
- Is it the TRUTH? The first key to balancing sacrifice and self-interest in collaboration is honesty. This can be difficult because people express their needs in different ways. Some people over-dramatize their own needs. Others express their needs in indirect or seemingly passive-aggressive ways. Some people try to manipulate others into rescuing or enabling them. And still others don’t express (or know) their own needs. Determining how much to give and how much to protect depends on a true assessment of the situation.
- Is it FAIR to all concerned? Fairness means not giving anyone an unjust advantage over others. It does not always mean equal. That said, healthy collaboration ensures that all parties are upright and contributing with integrity. This requires understanding that each party in a collaboration deserves respect and appropriate advantage.
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? The next key criteria in collaboration is the degree to which it will build social/emotional capital. Sacrifice can deepen trust. Other times, sacrifice builds resentment or dependence. Some self-interest sets appropriate boundaries in relationships. Other times, it’s perceived as selfish.
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Collaboration should ultimately be good for everyone. It might not feel good or produce short-term outcomes for everyone; it should, however, result in positive outcomes for everyone. Each collaborator might have different opinions of what’s good, but each has to do his/her best to discern whether it’s ultimately good for everyone or not.
Which do you tend toward—too much sacrifice or too much self-interest? Perhaps your collaboration would benefit from the Four-Way Test.
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