Communicate and Collaborate Better with Collaboration Guides

Updated by Amy Thomas

What the Collaboration Guide is

Think of this as your personal guide to working effectively with a specific colleague. It reveals how your personality styles interact, helping you understand why some interactions flow naturally while others might create friction. This insight becomes particularly valuable when starting new partnerships, improving existing ones, or working through challenges.

Problem

Do you find it challenging to have challenging conversations, give direct feedback, or generally work with peers, manage up, or navigate relationships within your teams or department? Misaligned personalities, unclear communication, or unresolved conflicts can lead to frustration, inefficiency, and poor results. Without understanding how others think and work, it’s hard to connect effectively.

Solution

The Collaboration Guide helps you understand and navigate different personalities within your team or department. By identifying strengths, differences, and communication styles, you can:

  • Communicate clearly
  • Collaborate and coordinate tasks effectively
  • Resolve conflicts constructively
  • Build better role clarity in relationships, even when managing up
  • In short, you can master the 4 C’s of working together (communicate, collaborate, conflict-resolution, and role-clarity)

Steps to Action

  1. Complete the Employee Personality Profile (EPP)

Both you and the other person should complete the EPP to unlock actionable insights.

If the other person hasn’t completed theirs, encourage them to take it so you can use the guide fully.
  1. Access the Collaboration Guide

Navigate to the person’s profile in the Develop platform and open the Collaboration Guide.

Explore key insights on how your personality traits compare
Communication Style: Do they prefer concise, direct updates, or collaborative discussions?
Work Approach: Are they big-picture thinkers, or do they thrive in details?
Conflict Style: Do they address issues head-on or avoid confrontation?
Motivation Drivers: What energizes them most—recognition, results, or something else?
  1. Reflect with Coach Bo

Launch Coach Bo to help interpret the results and get tailored advice.

Example Questions for Bo
“How can I adapt my communication style to better align with [Name]?”
“What’s the best way to give constructive feedback to [Name]?”
“How can I manage up effectively with my boss, given our different work styles?”
Develop specific strategies to prevent misunderstandings before they occur. Bo excels at suggesting practical adjustments that feel natural for both your styles.
  1. Have a Conversation to Build Alignment

Use the Collaboration Guide as a conversation starter to strengthen your working relationship.

Key Topics to Discuss
Shared Strengths: “I noticed we both excel at [shared strength]. How can we lean on this to collaborate better?”
Differences: “It seems like I prefer a structured approach, while you’re more flexible. How can we balance these styles?”
Communication Preferences: “I see you prefer direct updates. How can I ensure I’m communicating in a way that works best for you?”
  1. Apply the 4 C’s Framework

Use your insights from the Collaboration Guide to improve these key areas:

Communication
Adapt your tone, timing, and delivery based on their preferences.
Example: If they prefer direct updates, send concise summaries instead of long explanations.
Coordination
Use their work style to assign or divide tasks effectively.
Example: Pair a detail-oriented peer with a big-picture thinker for a well-rounded approach.
Conflict Resolution
Address disagreements based on their conflict style.
Example: If they avoid confrontation, approach them in a calm, private setting to share feedback.
Role Clarity
Clarify expectations for how you’ll work together.
Example: With your manager, ask questions to confirm priorities and deadlines to avoid misalignment.
  1. Check-In Regularly

Schedule regular touchpoints to discuss how your collaboration is going.

Revisit the Collaboration Guide and ask Coach Bo for advice if issues arise or your dynamic changes.

Practical Applications

For Better Communication: Launch Bo and try:
  • "Help me phrase this feedback for [Name]'s style"
  • "How can we structure our meetings to work for both of us?"
  • "What's the best way to keep [Name] updated on progress?"
For Project Collaboration: Ask Bo questions like:
  • "How should we divide responsibilities given our strengths?"
  • "What check-in system would work best for our styles?"
  • "How can we make decisions together effectively?"
For Resolving Tensions: When challenges arise, Bo can help you:
  • Understand how personality differences might be affecting the situation
  • Find ways to adapt your approach
  • Have productive conversations about working better together

Growth Experiments to Try

Start with small adjustments suggested by Bo, such as:

  • If you have different communication preferences, try their preferred style for one specific type of interaction
  • If you approach planning differently, experiment with a hybrid approach on a small project
  • If you process information differently, test a new way of sharing updates

Build better habits gradually:

  • Choose one aspect of your collaboration to improve
  • Design a two-week experiment with Bo's help
  • Check in together about what's working
  • Adjust based on feedback

Pro Tips

  • Use the Collaboration Guide when working with peers or managing up to ensure alignment on goals and communication.
  • For challenging conversations or more impactful feedback, prepare by asking Coach Bo for tailored advice.
  • Celebrate small wins when collaboration improves, like smoother feedback exchanges or resolving conflicts faster.

Troubleshooting

Struggling to connect with someone?

  • Focus on their strengths and ask questions like, “What’s one thing I can do to make working with me easier?”
  • Use the guide to adapt your approach rather than expecting them to change.

Having recurring conflicts?

  • Ask Coach Bo for conflict resolution strategies specific to their personality style.
  • Seek a manager’s help to mediate, if needed, and revisit the guide to adjust your approach.

What to Expect

By using the Collaboration Guide and reflecting with Coach Bo, you’ll:

  • Build trust and improve communication with peers, teammates, and managers.
  • Navigate conflicts constructively with greater understanding of personality differences.
  • Align better on roles, responsibilities, and priorities– whether working alongside peers or managing up.

Over time, these practices will make you a more effective collaborator, improve your team’s cohesion, and create a more productive and harmonious workplace.

Remember:

✅ Launch Bo from within the guide to get context-aware support

✅ Focus on leveraging differences positively

✅ Start with understanding before trying to change things

✅ Build on what works well

✅ Check in with Bo regularly as your working relationship evolves

How did we do?