Collaborate
Lead Unified Teams
Story
Mission-Ready Collaboration
In 2006, NASA awarded a contract to a relatively unproven company—SpaceX—to help deliver cargo to the International Space Station. The partnership was high stakes. Failure would not only cost billions but also derail national space objectives.
How did this risky collaboration succeed? NASA and SpaceX had radically different cultures, but they invested heavily in communication protocols, mutual respect, and iterative feedback. NASA brought process discipline; SpaceX brought speed and innovation. They succeeded together because they defined their roles, resolved friction quickly, and aligned around a shared mission.
“This was a partnership built on rigorous review and respectful pushback—not blind agreement.” —Lori Garver, former Deputy Administrator, NASA
Main Idea
Effective Collaboration Drives Innovation and Engagement
Whether you lead a project or participate in one, your ability to collaborate directly affects your team's success and your credibility. An oft-cited study published by Salesforce found that 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication as the reason for workplace failures. Yet organizations that prioritize collaborationoutperform their peers significantly in productivity.
The difference isn’t luck—it’s strategy. Clear roles, shared goals, and purposeful tools make collaboration not just smoother, but more impactful.
Agenda
What You’ll Learn in This Chapter
- How teams develop and why communication matters at each stage
- How to manage conflict and encourage inclusive dialogue
- How to lead and contribute to meetings that matter
- How to use digital collaboration tools with professionalism
That same principle applies to your work. Whether in student teams or corporate projects, your ability to collaborate begins with clarity—of purpose, process, and people.
Reasons
Begin With Clarity–of Purpose, Process, and People
1. Understand How Teams Develop
Just like the NASA–SpaceX team did, work teams often experience the stages described by psychologist Bruce Tuckman:
- Forming: People get to know each other.
- Storming: Differences surface. Conflict may arise.
- Norming: Group roles, expectations, and trust begin to form.
- Performing: The team works smoothly and effectively.
Understanding these stages helps you normalize conflict, manage expectations, and work productively with others. A team charter outlining team roles, goals, and communication preferences can help align everyone from the start.
The success of the NASA–SpaceX partnership didn’t begin with the launch pad—it began with aligned expectations and clear communication. From the first proposal to final execution, both teams understood what they needed to deliver and how they’d collaborate across distinct organizational cultures.
2. Navigate Conflict with Empathy and Structure
Conflict isn’t failure—it’s a normal part of team life. The key is navigating it productively.
- Focus on facts, not personalities
- Reinforce shared goals
- Use active listening to clarify disagreements
- Avoid side conversations and triangulation
- Document decisions to avoid future confusion
NASA and SpaceX had to negotiate crucial differences—from timelines and testing protocols to media messaging. Without respectful conflict resolution, the partnership could have derailed under pressure.
"The best teams don’t agree on everything. They agree on how to work through it."
3. Run Meetings That Matter
Poorly run meetings waste time and breed resentment. Good meetings create momentum.
Meeting Tips:
- Share an editable agenda in advance
- Appoint roles: timekeeper, facilitator, etc.
- Use an AI notetaker like Fireflies.ai to automatically produce transcripts, summaries, and action lists
- Stick to start/end times
- Use "parking lots" for off-topic items
Virtual Meeting Tips:
- Institute a cameras-on policy for at least part of every meeting
- Mute when not speaking
- Use chat to encourage quieter voices
- Share screens for visual clarity
4. Use Collaboration Tools to Strengthen—not Stress—Your Team
Workplace tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Trello, and Google Docs are only helpful when used well.
Tips:
- Set response-time expectations for different channels
- Avoid vague comments like "Can someone do this?"
- Tag only relevant people
- Use threads or folders to keep things organized
Task
Practice Collaborative Leadership Now
- Create a team charter at the start of your next group project
- Facilitate a snappy 15-minute team meeting
- Try a project management tool like Trello to track tasks
The NASA–SpaceX partnership worked because each team understood their role, respected the collaboration process, and aligned around a common goal. It’s a model for how ambitious work gets done—not through luck or like-mindedness, but through discipline, respect, and communication.
Want to lead and succeed like that? Start by collaborating like that.