Why Teamwork Feels Hard: The Key Element You Need for Better Collaboration

Did you catch last week’s post, where a question I received while doing a global training for the UN in Cairo stopped me in my tracks and sent me down a deep rabbit hole?

It led to the tool I created called S.A.K.E., where S stands for Skills, A stands for Attitude, K for Knowledge, and E for experience. 

It’s a valuable tool for teaching and learning in an inclusive and accessible way, especially if you know your preference/bias of the four elements (which one you lean into and which one you lean away from)..

(If you didn’t catch last week’s post, check it out to see the one that is the most important overall to people, based on my research, AND the one that’s most frequently left out.)

Today I wanted to add to that post by giving you another lens to view it through, one that you can use beyond designing learning, but also with your team. 

What is this lens you say?

The four H’s

As you read through the four H’s, think of team members who prioritize each one.  And the strengths and gaps that causes.

H¹

H¹ stands for head. Its equivalent in the S.A.K.E. model is Knowledge. You’re an H¹ if you’re focused on theory, research information, and contemplation.

Strength: fact-based, well-thought-out, reasoned

Possible gap: lack of implementation, action taking

H²

H² stands for heart. Its equivalent in the S.A.K.E. model is Attitude. Your sweet spot is H² if you’re focused on mission, vision, values, and motivation.

Strength: intuitive, motivational, inspirational

Possible gap: may not get anything done, spends too much time processing emotions

H³

H³ stands for hands. Its equivalent in the S.A.K.E. model is Skills. You know you shine with H² if you’re focused on practicing and skill building.

Strength: loves to experiment, try things, willing to take a chance

Possible gap: if you leap before looking, you can have challenging consequences

H⁴

H⁴ stands for hike. As in take a hike, get going, move along. Its equivalent in the S.A.K.E. model is Experience. Your sweet spot is H4 if you’re focused on getting moving (literally taking a hike) after the learning is done. You’re focused on experiencing, applying, and using your learning beyond the classroom, whether the classroom is a Teams room, a board table, or sitting under a tree. This allows you to carry learning into real-life situations and apply it meaningfully. It helps ensure that learning is not just theoretical but also practical.

Strength: gets stuff done, ties learning and teamwork to practical implementation, lasting learning

Possible gap: if don’t incorporate the head, can be off base, if don’t incorporate hands, can be unpracticed, if don’t incorporate the heart, can be unfeeling.

Take a moment to put the four H’s in order of your sweet spot, from your strength to your weakest link, your gap. 

And do this for your team members as well.  

Then you’ll know what comes to you easily and naturally ….. annnnd what you need to focus on in order to not leave team members or learners out.

Now get going for your sake and the S.A.K.E. of the four H’s. 

Now go on and learn, laugh, and lead

Learn

• Again, take a moment to put the four H’s in order of your sweet spot, from your strength to your weakest link, your gap.

Laugh

• Look at this sweet video combining two of the four H’s,  hands and hearts.

Lead

• The next time you set out to design and deliver a workshop and/or you’re experiencing some issues with your team, for everyone’s S.A.K.E., make sure you’re including all four:  skills, attitude, knowledge, experience, and the equivalent four H’s – head, hand, heart, and hike.