Collaboration is easy!
It is when you’re engaged with someone who is willing to collaborate with you! Otherwise, in ambiguous, controversial, passionate and ego fueled situations, collaboration is a challenge.
One of my pet peeves about a buzzword like collaboration, is its abstract nature. Sure, we have ideas about what it is. But, how is it operationalized? What are the steps? How do I get started?
LiPPS™ is a simple, easy to remember and powerful strategy for building and repairing relationships. It is a discovery process that:
Manages the most difficult part of collaborating … getting their story and buy-in
Avoids the temptation to spit out YOUR agenda in just one breath
Establishes or rebuilds credibility
Fine-tunes your ability to influence, sell and coach
Blends agendas and kicks off mutual problem solving
Creates a shared goal or solution
Raises the probability you will be Right AND Effective
(Please see my previous article, "You May Be Right, But Are You Effective? Rarely, Can You Be Both!")
What is LiPPS™ and How Do You Do It?
Listen
Probe
Paraphrase
Solicit
1. Listen … to understand, not refute; record loaded words and phrases (Note: a loaded word or phrase has unique meaning, which hold clues to the real meaning of what is said and the issues YOU want to address).
2. Probe … for their needs, goals and agendas by asking open-ended questions. Pose follow-up questions to their responses. The more you learn, the easier it is to determine if the situation is workable and how to manage it (NOTE: Listening and Probing help diffuse defensiveness, making it difficult for someone to argue with you).
3. Paraphrase … to confirm your understanding; see if you got their story right. It allows you to alter a misperception on the spot, demonstrate you are interested, and subtly diffuse defensiveness.
4. Solicit … their concerns, ideas and thoughts first, only then, offer your own. Ask what they think, what their hunch or best guess is … rather than asking for the solution (NOTE: It’s easier and safer to solicit opinions rather than answers. The goal is to create mutual ownership and buy-in to the ultimate solution).
LiPPS™ conveys the message you care, are willing to listen and are open to their thoughts. It’s not only effective, it’s memorable.
“People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou