Allow large chunks of individual work time.

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Collaboration isn’t always the solution.

“When I need to work and I want to use some of those things that I just learned, I need to work by myself,” Kontny explains. “I need focus. I feel like too many people get stuck in this teamwork mode where they meet for a brainstorming session and now they have all their work stuck inside a team and nobody takes any ownership.”

Instead, follow up a back-and-forth conversation with long periods of alone time to test and complete the work without interruption. This will allow members of the team to complete their share of the work outlined during collaborative meeting sessions.

5. Determine — and be clear about — who is responsible for what tasks.

Kontny created Draft to allow him and his wife to collaborate together on editing his work. She can leave comments, rearrange content for a better flow and rewrite specific sections. However, he has the final say over whether to ignore or incorporate her edits. Disagreements, however, are quick to flare up when it’s unclear who has ownership or the ultimate say over a piece of work, whether it’s a piece of content or a larger project.

Kontny is intrigued by the concept of holocracy, a system of organizational structure used by companies such as Zappos and Medium, where authority is distributed through self-organizing teams rather than through a traditional hierarchy.

“You break your company into these small groups and every person in the group gets a set of roles and responsibilities and accountabilities that are really well-defined, and they are the master of their domain,” he explains. Best of all, everybody knows who is in charge of each group. The leader has the final say on a specific decision within that area, and takes responsibility for good or for ill.

Even a CEO can’t dictate what must be done in a group he’s not a part of. “Everyone venezuela whatsapp number database knows who has the power to make the decision. You’re free to share your opinion, but one person is going to make the call and make that decision as best they can,” he explains.

6. Find out a way to receive feedback and suggestions.

If you and your co-workers are passionate about your business, there will be heated arguments. Kontny sees that as good and healthy. “If you think you’re not going to have arguments with people you collaborate with, you’re deluding yourself. Arguments are what make your companies stronger.”

Offering brutally honest feedback (as exemplified by Pixar’s animation studio) and making revisions based on that feedback could lead to tremendous improvement. “In the end, it’ll make the business better and the product better,” Kontny says.

7. Study the data.

Whether you’re running a/b split tests, tracking conversions or checking to see if your prospects are incorporating a new tool, looking at specific metrics and sharing them with your entire team can help you see what’s working and what isn’t. Just make sure to determine what you’re tracking ahead of time, so you can continue to iterate and grow.

Have any collaboration tips of your own? Share away in the comments.

This post contributed by guest author, Yael Grauer. Grauer is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and editor. Find her online at Yaelwrites.com.