I’m in the middle of facilitating retreats this month, and I’m hearing a similar theme: “We’re under a lot of pressure. Things are changing. And we’re feeling it.”
This is when collaboration matters more than ever. The natural inclination is to retreat into my own work. But real collaboration, the kind I call Uncommon Collaboration, helps all of us handle reality better.
Here are seven practical ways you can lead collaboration in your team, especially under pressure:
- Make the pressure visible
Don’t let everyone carry it privately. Ask:
- “What’s putting the most pressure on you right now?”
- “What’s taking more energy than it should?”
You’ll get better collaboration the moment people feel seen.
- Clarify what matters most right now
Pressure creates noise. Collaboration improves when priorities are clear. Your team needs to know:
- What we own
- What matters most right now
“If we only get one thing right this week, this is it.”
- Slow the conversation down
Pressure speeds people up. Create intentional space to slow down just enough to think together. Even a short pause without devices can change the quality of the conversation.
- Make it safe to say what needs to be said
You don’t have time to circle back on decisions or chase the wrong problem. You need people to speak up.
That means not reacting when truth shows up, saying “thank you” to feedback, and staying curious when something doesn’t land. It also means inviting dissent early by asking, “What are we missing?” or “Who sees this differently?”
- Ask for help out loud
Everyone carries too much under pressure, especially leaders. Everything changes when leaders model it: “Here’s where I’m stuck. I need your help.”
- Stay in the conversation when it gets uncomfortable
Most teams exit conversations too early. That’s where collaboration breaks.
Lean into the uncomfortable instead of moving past it. Otherwise, it turns into side conversations and lost alignment.
- Reinforce a belief in people and the path forward
Everyone has had a moment where they stopped believing in themselves after a mistake, setback, or tough season. One of the most powerful things you can do under pressure is remind people what they’re capable of and what they’ve already done.
Pressure doesn’t break collaboration, it reveals it.
The teams that move forward aren’t the ones without pressure. They’re the ones who choose how they show up inside it.
