Take No Prisoners is a free weekly memo from Scott Wintrip that explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for getting done what matters most.

Companies fall into one of three categories when it comes to collaboration:

• It rarely happens.
• It often happens.
• It almost always happens.

In all three cases, there’s always room for improvement. The process visual below will help you find that improvement.

To get started, here are some definitions of the three elements required for a sustainable collaborative culture:

• Mutually Assured Recognition: The efforts and contributions of all parties are recognized by all of the parties.
• Public Displays of Affection: While PDA wasn’t okay when growing up, it’s vital in growing a more collaborative culture. Frequent, varied, and appropriate methods of showing gratitude is optimal.
• Collaborative Primers: Just like priming a pump to churn water out of a well, collaboration often needs a nudge to get flowing. Leaders can do this through requests, formal and informal programs, and actively participating in the collaborative effort.

The numbers in the diagram represent what happens when an element is missing.

To use this as a diagnostic:

• Look for which of three elements are missing, and add them in.
• Assess which are being used sporadically and take steps to ensure they’re used more often.
• Determine which of the numbers is the most accurate label for what’s going on to identify the missing or inconsistently used elements.

For example, if collaboration is happening, but there is clear evidence that some people aren’t aware of it (Collaborative Blindness), the element that’s not being used often enough, if at all, is PDA.

This Week’s Radical Accountability Activating Action: Use one of the three diagnostic methods to begin to enhance the level of collaboration in your team or within your entire company.