Last week during the third session of our Collaborative Introductory Learning Program we welcomed two leaders from outside our Collaborative community, Matt Levin and Steve Turner, to speak about being the best team member one can possibly be. When we started the program we asked our audience a few poll questions, including one asking attendees if they considered themselves to be good teammates. The results were as expected, nearly 100% of attendees said, “yes they were a good teammate”, while only one person in the presentation marked “I do not know.”

The conversation of teamwork and what makes a good teammate continued on the Friday My Collaborative Team Happy Hour call. If every Collaborative Professional thinks of themselves as a good teammate, what is it that continues to plague some communities from growing the process? It is common nature for people to gravitate towards “winning” teams, yet we repeatedly hear from practitioners who struggle to create Collaborative cases in their community. So how can the Collaborative Process be filled with all these terrific teammates and yet our teams are still struggling to grow?

Is being a good teammate good enough in this process or do we have to go beyond just being good teammates to one another? Is being a good teammate only limited to times when you have active Collaborative matters, or does it involve putting in work outside of team meetings? Often, we turn to sports when trying to find the analogies for teamwork. In sports being a good teammate is more than having talent and showing up to the games. It is about the time and work you put in outside of the games, the practice, the bonding, the comradery that is built off the court. So, the next time you are asked if you are a good teammate, or are reflecting on if you are being the best teammate you can possibly be, think beyond just the team meeting. Are you doing everything you can day in and day out to be the best Collaborative teammate you can be to your entire community?