Collaborating with others: 40 Useful Performance Feedback Phrases

Collaborating is willingly working with one another and cooperating in whatever task one is assigned without behaving poorly or having an attitude change that hurts others.

Collaborating with others: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

• Develops teamwork and cooperation while participating in a group and works towards solutions that generally benefit everyone
• Assigns each group member general roles such as "researcher" or "facilitator" which makes specific task delegation quicker and less arbitrary
• Lets everyone find their strength and work to contribute to the common goal, rather than trying to do everything
• Lets everyone participate in discussion and considers their ideas before responding
• Encourages shy members to speak up by asking them for input on a subject they are knowledgeable about or interested in
• Discusses problems non-judgmentally and openly; avoids pointing fingers and talking about team members behind their backs
• Uses email discussions, document sharing services, and online wikis to communicate and keep group members up to date
• Meets as a group for the occasional relaxed gathering in order to know each other well and work better together
• Regularly exchanges feedback with group members in order to help them know their strong areas and work on areas that need improvement
• Seeks suggestions or ideas from group members on how to solve a conflict in the group before making a decision

Collaborating with others: Meets Expectations Phrases

• Tries to keep one's emotions reigned in even when there are serious disagreements between collaborators
• Discusses issues honestly and keeps the discussion focused on how best one can adjust the situation at hand and move the collaboration forward
• Addresses underlying causes of low participation; finds out why a group member is not fulfilling the assigned role or barely attending meetings
• Finds a replacement for a group member who deliberately refuses to participate or does not have the necessary requirements
• Researches how to run an effective meeting and shares the results with the meeting convener or facilitator
• Constantly reminds group members of the importance of working as a team and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation
• Prioritizes the group efforts based on the common goal being worked towards
• Develops a vision statement that reiterates the importance of collaboration, shared values, and inclusion in the workplace
• Makes sure own goals determine the activities one chooses; avoids wasting time with activities just because they are fun
• Keeps the team size balanced in order to maintain effective communication and teamwork

Collaborating with others: Needs Improvement Phrases

• Does not leverage the different personalities, weaknesses, strengths, ideas, and perspectives of teams members that would help one achieve success
• Is not clear when setting roles and responsibilities for the team thus team members end up getting confused on who is doing what
• Prefers doing things on one's own; Does not listen to team members' ideas on how to solve a problem or improve a situation in the group
• Does not keep the motivation going by letting people know that their ideas matter or rewarding them for a job well done
• Creates an environment where members are afraid of airing their views for fear of being judged
• Does not keep the lines of communication open thus makes team members feel uncomfortable with contributing ideas that help solve problems
• Sets an endless series of meetings with the team members in which little is accomplished
• Does not understand the importance of setting goals or contributing solutions to problems
• Is unwilling to assume leadership roles within the group or help in facilitating team goal setting
• Does not persuade others to act in the best interests of customers, colleagues and other teams within the company

Collaborating with others: Self Evaluation Questions

• Can you describe a situation where you had to compromise or help others to compromise? What steps did you take?
• Can you describe a team experience which you have found rewarding?
• Have you been rewarded in the past for successfully empowering a group of people in achieving a goal? If yes, what was the reward?
• Can you give the best example of a time when you worked cooperatively as a team member to complete an important task?
• What are some of the challenges you have faced when working with others? How do you manage to stay focused despite the challenges?
• Is there a time when you have had to work with a team that did not get along? What did you do?
• Some people prefer working alone while other prefer working as a team. What do you prefer and why?
• Can you describe the most disappointing team experience you have ever had? Is there anything you could have done to prevent it?
• Can you describe a project you were working on, that required input from people in different departments or at different levels of the company? How did you go about it?
• Describe a time when you have had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle it?