Collaborating on Team Messages

Collaborative messages, or team messages, involve working with other writers to produce a single document or presentation. For instance, you might sit down with your boss to plan a memo, work independently during the writing phase, and then ask your boss to review the message and suggest revisions. On the other hand, you might participate in an all-out team effort to write your company's business plan or prepare and present a major report.

Collaborative messages can involve a project manager, researchers, writers, typists, graphic artists, and editors. Because team messages bring multiple perspectives and various skills to a project, the result is often better than could have been produced by an individual working alone. Still, collaborative messages have their challenges. To begin with, team members often come from different backgrounds and have different work habits or concerns: A technical expert may focus on accuracy and scientific standards; an editor on organization and coherence; and a manager on schedules, cost, and corporate goals. Team members also differ in writing styles and personality traits.

Videoconferencing allows people in several locations to "meet" via video and audio links. In fact, a job candidate may be asked to sit down on the spur of the moment for an interview via videoconference with a prospective employer in another city. Similarly, a salesperson may be required to make a videoconference presentation to a roomful of customers, or a newly formed work team with members in offices around the world may be asked to brainstorm on camera.²²

One form of videoconferencing technology is decision-making software (also called groupware or electronic meeting systems). This software offers distinct advantages. For example, participants can anonymously type any message they want, and it flashes on the screen for all to see. Such anonymity allows people to be brutally honest without penalty. In addition, this approach is as much as 55 percent faster than face-to-face meetings because chitchat is eliminated. Still, videoconferencing has its drawbacks. First, you must be a good typist. Also, those with the best ideas don't get credit for them. Finally, the process lacks the rich nonverbal feedback of face-to-face communication.

Web technology also helps team members collaborate. More and more companies are developing large-scale work spaces on the Internet for online discussions, videoconferencing, and data sharing. The primary benefits of Web-based collaboration are that it's easy, it's cost effective, and it allows you to do multiple activities in a seamless fashion. For example, at KPMG Consulting, eight employees scattered around the globe wrote, edited, and commented on a report, using WebFlow Corp's SamePage. This software allows users to draft different sections of a document while editing other sections and participating in a Web-based discussion–all at the same time.²³ Whether sharing information, reaching decisions, or making recommendations, team members can use technology to compose, exchange, and present effective messages.

To prepare effective team messages, you must be flexible and open to the opinions of others—focusing on your team's objectives instead of your own.²⁴ You must also get organized. Select a leader and clarify goals.²⁵ Before anyone begins to write, team members must agree on the purpose of the project and the audience. Your team must also plan the organization, format, and style of the document—after all, the final message must look and sound as if one writer prepared it. The following guidelines will help you produce team messages that are clear, seamless, and successful:²⁶

•	Select team members wisely. Choose team members who have strong interpersonal skills, understand team dynamics, and care about the project.

•	Select a responsible leader. Identify a group leader who will keep members informed and intervene when necessary.

•	Promote cooperation. Establish communication standards that motivate accuracy, openness, and trust.

•	Clarify goals. Make sure team goals are aligned with individual expectations.

•	Elicit commitment. Create a sense of ownership and shared responsibility for the document.

•	Clarify responsibilities. Assign specific roles and establish clear lines of reporting.

•	Instill prompt action. Establish a time line and deadlines for every part of the project.

•	Apply technology. Use electronic tools to communicate quickly and effectively with other team members.

•	Ensure technological compatibility. Use the same word-processing program to facilitate combining files.

Keep in mind that team presentations can give an organization the opportunity to show off its brightest talent while capitalizing on each person's unique presentation skills. The real advantage is that you can take the collective energy and expertise of the team and create something that transcends what you could do otherwise.²⁷