There is seemingly more collaboration going on in the workplace than ever before. People are working and talking across teams, and within teams, using a wide array of communication channels. As a result, employees, managers, and CEOs alike can feel pulled in a ton of different directions, by a ton of different asks, and find their actual productivity shot to pieces as a result.
My guest figured there had to be a better way for folks to work together, and interviewed the most efficient collaborators to find out what they did differently to get back up to a quarter of their collaborative time. His name is Rob Cross, and he's a professor of leadership, a business consultant, and the author of Collaboration Overload. Rob and I begin our conversation with a big picture overview of the organizational and individual factors that are driving the problem of collaboration overload. We then shift to talking about the concrete tactics he learned from efficient collaborators that can help others avoid getting pulled into every conversation and project. We discuss how to limit the productivity-sapping power of meetings by scheduling reflective time, and ways to put more buffer between you and those who ask you to collaborate, including creating a transparent clearinghouse of priorities. We then discuss how to reduce collaboration overload in communication, manage people's expectations for response times, and identify the microstressors that may be contributing to your burnout.
Resources Related to the Podcast
Answers to the FAQ of Modern Etiquette
The Art and Science of Getting Unstuck
The Essential Guide to Visiting and Camping in the National Parks
Thoreau on Making a Living
Optimize Your Testosterone
Leadership Lessons From Military Mentors
Become a Focused Monotasker
Generations — The Surprising Truths and Persistent Myths
Toastmasters, Aristotle, and the Essential Art of Rhetoric
The Wisdom of Psychopaths
The Science of a Better Daily Routine
The Golden Rules of Success
What the World of Psychology Gets Wrong About Men
The Essential Habits for Becoming an Agile, Vital, and Durable Human Being
How to Deal With the Worry of Waiting
The Naturalist’s Art of Animal Encounters
The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in a World That Won’t Stop Talking
A Kantian Guide to Life
Finally Follow Through
Bat Bombs, Truth Serums, and the Masterminds of WWII Secret Warfare
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free