Creating a Culture of Collaboration in Science

"We have all these values on paper, but they don’t seem to show up in our daily work. It feels like they’re just words." Have you heard this before? Perhaps said it yourself? In my experience, the issue isn't that the organization lacks values—it is that those values aren’t reflected in behaviors or decisions. It's key to examine where the disconnect is. For one of my clients: 💡 Integrity was a core value, but teams felt pressure to meet deadlines at any cost, even if it meant sacrificing quality. 💡 Collaboration was listed, but meetings were siloed, with little input from cross-functional teams. 💡 Transparency was celebrated, but critical decisions were made behind closed doors, leaving employees feeling excluded. Once we identified these gaps, the leadership team committed to change: 1️⃣ They aligned rewards and recognition with the values, celebrating behaviors like speaking up and prioritizing quality. 2️⃣ They overhauled meeting structures to encourage cross-team collaboration. 3️⃣ Leaders began modeling transparency by openly sharing their decision-making process and inviting input. Over time, the culture began to shift. Employees noticed the difference—not because of what was written on a poster, but because they saw leaders and peers living the values in their day-to-day work. Trust grew, collaboration flourished, and alignment across teams improved. Culture isn’t built in mission statements—it’s brought to life through actions and choices. #OrgCulture #CultureChange #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership #OrgValues ------------ ☕ Curious to dive deeper? Let’s connect over a coffee chat. https://lnkd.in/gGJjcffw

Collaboration died six meetings ago 7 Ways to Bring it Back to Life It faded, conversation by conversation. Not from bad intentions. But from missed signals like: ❌ “They don’t listen to us.” ❌ “We weren’t looped in.” ❌ “They always take the credit.” These aren’t just frustrations.  They’re signs that collaboration isn’t happening. And when people feel excluded,  they stop offering what makes teams thrive:  ideas, effort, initiative, perspective. 📌 Visual by the brilliant Jill Avey Thank you for capturing this so clearly! Here are 7 Habits That Make Collaboration the Culture (before silos quietly take root): 1️⃣ Turn tension into a conversation  → Ask: “What did that feel like for you?”  → You’ll learn more by listening to what’s not said. → Seek clarity over being right. 2️⃣Create space to stay connected → Schedule 30-min monthly cross-team check-ins → Rotate who leads to share ownership → Focus on what’s evolving, not just what’s done 3️⃣ Share early, not just when it’s perfect → Say: “This is still in draft, what’s missing?” → Invite contribution before decisions are final → Trust grows when feedback is welcomed, not avoided 4️⃣ Recognize how collaboration happens  → Call out those who pulled people together  → Highlight unseen effort, not just outcomes  → Culture shifts when we value how things come together 5️⃣ Align on what success looks like, together  → Define what “good” looks like across teams  → Choose shared outcomes, not isolated metrics  → When teams win together, they stay together 6️⃣ Make it easier to stay in sync  → One tracker. One owner. One clear update  → Keep timelines and owners visible to all  → Simplify so people can focus, not scramble 7️⃣ Ask who else should be involved, early  → “Who else will be impacted by this?”  → Pause until those voices are heard  → Inclusion isn’t a checkbox, it’s a leadership move Collaboration doesn’t just “happen.”  It’s led. And the best leaders don’t wait for it to fail. They invest in it before anything breaks. What’s one way you build collaboration in your team? Let’s share what’s working ↓ ————————— ♻️ Repost to inspire more collaborative leadership 🔔 Follow Justin Hills for practical leadership insights

Interdisciplinary collaborations on campus should be more than a buzzword. Working on a college campus means being surrounded by brilliant minds from diverse fields. And having the opportunity to explore the synergies that exist between our areas of expertise. But turning ideas into action isn’t always easy. Why? 🛑 Silos: Faculty and departments operate in isolation, with little cross-communication. 🛑 Competing Priorities: Teaching loads, research demands, and budget constraints often take precedence. 🛑 Lack of Incentives: Many institutions still reward individual achievements over collaborative efforts. So, the big question is: How can college and department leaders break down these barriers and facilitate the great work of faculty?**👇 1️⃣ Host Interdisciplinary Networking Events: Faculty can connect through mixers, panels, or informal lunches. 2️⃣ Simplify Administrative Processes: Remove barriers like teaching load conflicts or grant-sharing complexities. 3️⃣ Provide Seed Grants: Fund small-scale interdisciplinary projects to jumpstart partnerships. 4️⃣ Recognize and Reward Collaboration: Include team efforts in performance reviews and tenure criteria. 5️⃣ Encourage Team-Teaching: Support faculty in designing and delivering cross-disciplinary courses. 6️⃣ Facilitate Cross-Departmental Communication: Share opportunities and success stories via newsletters or intranet platforms. 7️⃣ Develop Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Co-create programs blending diverse fields. 8️⃣ Host Cross-Disciplinary Speakers: Invite speakers who bridge fields to spark collaboration. 9️⃣ Create Cross-Unit Committees: Form committees with representatives from different departments to identify opportunities One thing is clear:  👉 Collaboration doesn’t happen on accident. It takes intentional leadership to break down barriers and build bridges between faculty. Collaboration isn’t without challenges, but neither is isolation. The question is how you choose to grow. ---------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders.  💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills #HigherEdLeadership #Collaboration #InterdisciplinaryResearch #FacultySupport #StudentSuccess #Innovation

To move faster, tie people to the outcome. Not just their part in it. When work moves slowly, it's because the flow is a series of abrupt starts and stops, with unclear handoffs tying them together. And as the work is handed off, so are the problems, with everyone assuming that eventually someone will take care of it. Hopefully. These are 7 ways to start building a culture that cares about more than just their step. But at the root of them is the same idea: We're all on the same team, so let's act like it. 1️⃣ Conflict Bounties Reward employees who bring up cross-team blockers. Could be a small amount of cash, PTO, or a shout out. These help issues get fixed before they catch fire. 2️⃣ Second Team Assignments Each leader uses 1hr/week to support another team. Hands on time helping, not just checking in. This helps build context and trust between teams. 3️⃣ The 5 Day Fix Choose a cross-team problem that keeps coming up. Create a small squad from the affected teams. Give them 5 days to solve it, and share the results with everyone. This gives people quick wins, and shows them that they're capable of fixing their problems. 4️⃣ Joint Retros Create monthly retros between two reliant teams. Focus on what worked, and what needs improvement. This helps teams self correct and work better together. 5️⃣ Collab Spotlights Recognize someone from outside your team who helped. Bring the silent helpers to light. Celebrates the ways we're already helping each other. 6️⃣ Track by Outcome Group progress by shared goals instead of org chart. Assign co workers across teams. People want to reach the goal instead of just checking their box. 7️⃣ Shout Outs Create a dedicated channel for them. Encourage leads to use it at least weekly. As collaboration is recognized, it becomes part of the culture. Teams that move like one, reflect the systems that are built for it. Which one are you trying first? Let me know in the comments 👇 ♻️ Repost to help build better teams. ➕ Follow Sam Krempl for more like this.