The Spirit of Collaboration...Needs Understanding

One of the things that has become a new role for me at work is Lead Teacher.  In a way, I am the teacher that everybody goes to..but with as small of a faculty that we have I am like the Assistant Academic Director.  It describes my job waay better and well lets just be honest it sounds cooler :).  Weekly, all areas of the program get together to touch base about students, plan for upcoming events, and figure out how to make things work better around the company.

Sometimes I walk out of these meetings feeling like we got nowhere, and other times I feel like things are going to be okay at my job and we are all working together.  But one thing that I have learned about these meetings is that everyone has to be willing to listen to the other side.  If I think there is an idea that will be perfect for the problem, and I suggest it sometimes it doesn't work for someone else.  This might be because there is a part of the picture that I didn't see because I am not in their shoes all the time.  The key is to listen when the other department expresses that and not to just bulldoze right over them.

So here's to good collaboration and no bulldozing--just try to understand!

Thank you to http://www.construction-machine.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Bulldozer11.jpg for the picture