7 Pitfalls of

Collaboration1

Collaboration is not always inherent in the workplace, as it introduces an additional

layer of complexity, especially for individuals accustomed to working independently on
tasks as part of their training or upbringing. However, when executed effectively,
collaboration can achieve remarkable feats that would otherwise be challenging or even
impossible for individuals working in isolation. To ensure successful collaboration, it is
crucial to be aware of and avoid these seven (7) common pitfalls that can hinder the
collaborative process.

1 This is an open document. Contributions are most welcome. Shortcut to this document:
upsilab.org/badcollab. Correspondence to psy@up.edu.ph (Peter Sy - document maintainer). Updated 27
August 2022.

Recommended citation:

Sy, P (2022, 27 August). 7 Pitfalls of Collaboration. https://upsilab.org/team. CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Consolidation without engagement.
A team may assume that otherwise disparate individual efforts can readily be
“consolidated” into a single coherent output. “You, I, you do this, this and that… and
we’ll see each other in the end” is not an uncommon call at a project outset.
Collaboration, however, is best carried out with clear goals and expectations, with
periodic engagement and peer-review in every critical stage of the collaborative
process. Mutual interest in each other’s work and communicating such interest are key
to an engaging collaboration. Shorten the feedback loop with collaborators, even for
complex tasks with multiple dependencies.

2. Ambiguous or unclear roles, responsibilities, and production

processes.
If you can visualize how your team is able to accomplish a mission, you’re onto
something. Short of that are barriers to collaboration, including undefined roles and
responsibilities. Part of the process of collaboration is about making the problem
solvable by the team in a timely manner. Putting the team in a state where a problem
gets resolved as a “natural” consequence of the team’s problem-solving process and
team members' contributions. While clarity of roles, responsibilities, and processes may
not always come at the start of a mission, setting your team on a course that addresses
issues of clarity as an essential part of problem-solving is mission-critical.

3. Poor project management.

Having Gantt charts and timelines does not necessarily translate to good project
management (PM). Good PM is about deploying resources (time, people, funds, etc)
efficiently and effectively while getting the best trade-offs possible, given certain
organizational constraints. These days, complex projects can hardly be run without the
use of PM tools. But such tools are no substitute for thought. Fulfilling the terms of
contracts with clients in a timely and cost effective manner is the minimum expectation
of good PM. Anything short of that is poor PM.

Rather than rushing to parcel out individual tasks to be done and over with, think of
how an entire project is built with integrated parts potentially having unique yet related
requirements. Get a “lay of the land” first. Think of how the overall design or
architecture of the project may determine individual tasks.
4. Diffusion of responsibility.
Team members who need to take action but wait for someone else to do so, are in a
classic situation of diffusion of responsibility. The bigger the team, the more likely it is
that each team member will do nothing, believing someone else from the group will
probably respond.

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5. Poor (or non-) use of collaboration tools.
Emails and spreadsheets are NOT in and of themselves collaboration tools. They can
help convey vital project information but do not necessarily translate to actual
collaboration output, unless your team’s mission necessitates the production of emails
and spreadsheets. Complex projects usually require collaboration tools.2

6. Non-auditable, siloed operations.

Projects involving multiple individuals and teams not only need transparent, auditable
processes and outputs, but also interoperability. Poor outcomes reflect opaque, non-
auditable operations hardly congenial to effective collaboration.

7. Unwarranted Assumptions.
“Assumption is the mother of all f*ckup” (Malcolm X). Depending on the team’s
competences and levels of engagement, a number of elements cannot be assumed,
including (but not limited to):

(a) Understanding. Rather than assumed, understanding is better demonstrated and

observed.
(b) Access to essential resources or assets. Access to essential resources is best
tracked.
(c) Completeness. Completeness of work and team contributions cannot be claimed
before confirmation and validation.
(d) Quality. In a complex workplace, “quality individuals” do not necessarily produce
quality group output.
(e) Motivation. It is not a precondition for team work. Everyone in the team has to
get rolling to give each other a chance to feel good about the job—not the other
way around. Feeling good about what you do comes in part from the stories your
team members tell each other.

2 Examples of Collaboration Tools. Depending on your project, your collaboration tools may include the
following: Project Management (OpenProject), File Sharing (Nextcloud), Knowledge Management
(dokuWiki, Wikimedia), Document Writing (Google Docs), Team Communication Tools (Google Chat,
Discord), Code Repository (GitLab), Digital Assets Management (DAM), Concept Mapping (Miro), Time
Tracking (HRIS, Time Tracker on Nextcloud), Peer Evaluation (Spliddit).

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