Collaborating

Ideals in collaboration:

To begin---the goal is initially described to the group.  i.e.  We need a Christmas party for a large group. Or, we need to plan a 3 day youth conference.  Our purpose (for the Christmas party) for everyone to be visually pleased, content with the food, comfortable with the company, and festively involved.  Or our purpose for the youth conference is multiple spiritual opportunities, opportunities to serve, fun mingling between wards/stakes/ learning something new (skill, information).

There is consensus on the outcome goal.

Then you get into the detail planning--how do we accomplish those goals?:

1.  Each person has a responsibility to bring something thoughtfully prepared to the table.
2.  Ideas from all are acknowledged and appreciated and noted. Respectful, encouraging, and thoughtful words are used about comments and contributions.  Smiling by the moderator is key.  Humor is often helpful.
3.  Not any one person's ideas are used mostly.  Some ideas from each contributor are used.
4.  People are willing (how do you create an environment for this to happen?) to modify, make new ideas, combine ideas---and volunteer to help make everything happen.  Everyone has talents to offer.
5.  The product emerges as ideas are synthesized, gathered, and melded.

How does consensus on the product occur?