Improving the Rhythm of Your Collaboration

Count-offs at the beginning of musical performances, whether verbal or symbolic (with a baton or a snap), are a fixture of live collaboration for musicians. Conductors use them to establish tempo and feel, and to provide guidance on how to interpret the written rhythms--the patterns of sound and silence--that the ensemble is about to play. Similarly, in the workplace, leaders help set the beat for their organizations' and teams' collaborative efforts. For at least a century, they have done this largely by planning working-group meetings, huddles, one-on-ones, milestone reports, steering committee readouts, end-of-shift handoffs, and so on. Indeed, given how hyperconnected most people are now at work, one might question whether they even have a rhythm of collaboration, not because they lack sufficient interaction (sound) but because they lack any absence of it (silence). Our findings suggest that alternation is essential for work that involves problem-solving.