Are they asking to find collaboration or to avoid accountability?

What to do when "collaboration" is just a way to not be held accountable.

Have you ever noticed how decision by consensus is always great?

Oh, wait…

Collaboration can spark incredible ideas. But there’s a big difference between seeking collaboration—where your ideas get challenged and sharpened—and seeking consensus or procrastination via committee so later you can say, it wasn’t my fault.

The desire to evade accountability is actually an understandable impulse in cultures where mistakes are punished. But the best decisions rarely come from committees.

"Search the parks in all your cities. You’ll find no statues of committees."
—David Ogilvy

Team cohesion and time together are critical. A culture will suffer without them and this isn’t an anti-collaboration take.

But it is important to consider if someone’s ask for collaboration is really:

• loneliness —> ok, figure out some bonding

• excitement about real collaboration & idea generation —> ok, facilitate it

• a way to avoid accountability —> ok, challenge it