About this session
Teams are often told to collaborate more without defining what better collaboration would actually change. More meetings, more messages and more people involved in every decision can increase interaction while making the work slower and less clear.
Effective collaboration begins with the outcome.
Participants identify where collaboration is currently helping or hindering the work and define what needs to become different: faster decisions, clearer handoffs, better information sharing, stronger cross-functional coordination, fewer duplicated efforts, earlier problem escalation or another meaningful result.
They then translate those desired outcomes into observable collaboration practices.
Instead of goals such as 'communicate better,' the team defines what people should actually do differently — for example sharing specific information earlier, clarifying decision ownership, involving another function at a particular stage or escalating blockers within an agreed timeframe.
Finally, participants convert the goals into action. They identify the changes required in roles, meetings, communication, decisions, handoffs or team routines, assign ownership, establish milestones and determine what evidence will show whether collaboration is improving.
The result is a practical collaboration action plan rather than a collection of good intentions.
What your people take away
- Diagnose where collaboration is helping or obstructing team outcomes
- Define collaboration goals around meaningful work outcomes rather than vague intentions
- Translate goals into observable team behaviors and working practices
- Clarify the roles, interfaces and routines needed to support better collaboration
- Build an action plan with owners, milestones, dependencies and review points
- Measure whether collaboration is improving the work rather than simply increasing interaction
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to ImproveA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve: start with the work — not the word 'collaboration', map the current collaboration flow and separate symptoms from the collaboration issue.
- Start with the work — not the word 'collaboration'
- Map the current collaboration flow
- Separate symptoms from the collaboration issue
Covers 3 of 4 points in Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve.
60 minutes
Set a Better Collaboration GoalA focused introduction to collaboration goal-setting. Participants identify one important collaboration challenge, define the desired outcome, translate it into observable behaviors and build a concise first action plan.
- Collaboration vs. interaction
- Outcome definition
- Collaboration friction
- Observable behaviors
- Success measures
- Priority collaboration goal
- Action ownership
- Collaboration Goal Quick Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve.
90 minutes
Turn Collaboration Goals Into ActionThe extended session takes participants from collaboration diagnosis through goal-setting, behavior design, working agreements and practical action planning. Participants build a complete collaboration plan around a real or realistic team challenge.
- Collaboration Current-State Map
- Outcome definition
- Collaboration goal design
- Behavior and practice mapping
- Success measures
- Role and interface clarity
- Information flow
- Decision and escalation practices
- Working agreements
- Action planning
- Milestones and ownership
- Review rhythm
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve and Set Collaboration Goals That Mean Something.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve, Set Collaboration Goals That Mean Something and Design the Collaboration Practices.
Full day
Collaboration Goals & Action Planning LabA hands-on full-day workshop covering all four modules. Participants diagnose a real or realistic collaboration challenge, establish meaningful goals and success measures, redesign the relevant working practices and create a complete action plan with ownership, milestones and review points.
- Module 1 — Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve
- Module 2 — Set Collaboration Goals That Mean Something
- Module 3 — Design the Collaboration Practices
- Module 4 — Build the Action Plan & Make It Stick
- Collaboration Current-State Map
- Collaboration Friction Analysis
- Outcome & Goal Builder
- Behavior-to-Outcome Map
- Collaboration Measure Designer
- Role & Interface Review
- Information Flow Map
- Decision & Escalation Review
- Working Agreement Builder
- Collaboration Action Plan
- Ownership & Milestone Map
- Collaboration Review Dashboard
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve
Every length- Start with the work — not the word 'collaboration'Participants identify the business, team or delivery outcome currently being affected.
- Map the current collaboration flowParticipants examine where people, teams or functions currently need one another to complete the work and map the major coordination points, decisions, handoffs and information exchanges.
- Separate symptoms from the collaboration issueA meeting problem may actually be a decision-clarity problem.
- Identify the people & interfaces that matterNot every stakeholder needs the same level of involvement.
Set Collaboration Goals That Mean Something
90 minutes and longer- Define the collaboration outcomeParticipants describe what will be observably better if collaboration improves.
- Turn outcomes into behaviorsA goal becomes actionable when people know what they need to do differently.
- Choose useful success measuresParticipants determine what evidence could show whether collaboration is genuinely improving.
- Set a manageable number of goalsAttempting to change every team behavior at once can dilute ownership.
Design the Collaboration Practices
3 hours and longer- Clarify roles & interfacesParticipants identify where unclear contribution, ownership or handoffs are undermining the collaboration goals and define what each role or function needs to contribute.
- Design communication & information flowParticipants decide which information needs to move between people or teams, when it needs to be available and through which channel or forum.
- Design decision & escalation practicesCollaboration slows when everybody participates but nobody knows how a decision will be made.
- Create working agreementsParticipants convert the selected collaboration behaviors into concise team agreements around meetings, information, decisions, handoffs, responsiveness, conflict or other relevant practices.
Build the Action Plan & Make It Stick
Full day only- Turn goals into specific actionsParticipants identify the concrete changes required to move from the current collaboration pattern to the desired one.
- Assign ownership, milestones & dependenciesParticipants clarify who owns each action, what needs to happen first and which other teams, systems or decisions could affect implementation.
- Test changes through small experimentsWhere the best collaboration practice is uncertain, participants test changes for a defined period or workstream before turning them into permanent rules.
- Review, learn & adaptParticipants establish a practical review rhythm for examining progress against the collaboration goals and discussing what is helping or blocking the new way of working.
Tools and materials
- Collaboration Current-State Map
- Collaboration Friction Analysis
- Collaboration Goal Builder
- Behavior-to-Outcome Map
- Collaboration Measure Designer
- Role & Interface Review
- Information Flow Map
- Collaboration Working Agreement Builder
- Collaboration Action Planner
- Collaboration Review Dashboard
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Setting Collaboration Goals and Developing an Action Plan
How long is Setting Collaboration Goals and Developing an Action Plan?
Setting Collaboration Goals and Developing an Action Plan runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve: start with the work — not the word 'collaboration', map the current collaboration flow and separate symptoms from the collaboration issue. A 60-minute session covers Diagnose What Collaboration Needs to Improve in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Set Collaboration Goals That Mean Something. A 3-hour session adds Design the Collaboration Practices. A full-day session adds Build the Action Plan & Make It Stick. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Setting Collaboration Goals and Developing an Action Plan be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Setting Collaboration Goals and Developing an Action Plan?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Setting Collaboration Goals and Developing an Action Plan to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.