Collaboration

5.1

Foundational Dynamics The Non-Negotiable Dynamics

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At TDC, collaboration is a beacon pointing us toward a mutual commitment around collective results. These dynamics must be fully understood to collaborate effectively.

Trust

Building it. Extending it. Repairing it. Trust is given and lost, not earned or built — it is always in a state of repair and constantly in need of renewed understanding.

Although we all struggle at times to give trust, we can always show respect. Consistently given and received, respect helps establish a trusting collaborative environment. Trust is a verb to be practiced, not a noun to be possessed.

Openness

When trust is in play, we process information without the heavy filter of judgment or personal agendas, giving our family the freedom to engage in rigorous debate.

Commitment

If you are acting within our family with integrity and proactivity, you are committed to our vision and mission. Commitment turns the key to collaboration.

Accountability

We are individually responsible for delivering on commitments — bringing our experience and expertise to the team while being answerable to ourselves and our collective mission.

Collective Results

Team results, put above individual successes, are the proof of our labor and the markers of our success — and a new beginning that strengthens trust.

↑ Going Deeper with Foundational Dynamics

Trust & Transparency — Section 4.4

Leadership creates the environment in which dynamics thrive

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5.2

A "Great Teams" Mentality Playing for the Championship Vision

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Football is a team sport fully dependent on total teamwork that leads to very apparent collective results. In the NFL, little separates teams in terms of talent, financials, and management. The point of separation emerges around the cultural commitment to collective results.

Vision Shapes Everything

NFL offenses vary given the vision of the team. Notice how a team’s vision directly shapes their approach in every single moment — their risk-taking, creativity, and urgency.

Gaining Yards

Present-moment focus

Winning Quarters

Short-term vision

Winning Games

Mid-range focus

Super Bowl

The championship vision

TDC’s Championship Vision

At TDC, we are striving for the big, audacious championship vision of building the future together. Whether we’re bidding a project, hanging drywall, or implementing hardware for a client — we do all of it with the larger vision in mind.

5.3

Collaboration vs. Production Finding Our True North

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Throughout our organization, tenacious people find comfort in getting things done and checking them off their lists. We sometimes overlook the True North set through our team’s collaborative work.

True North

Our True North is our vision and mission — and productivity must always be connected to that greater good. Keeping our focus on the collective results of the team allows us to maintain productivity for the greater good of projects that will enrich the communities we serve for generations — the future and not just the present; us and not just me.

The Trap of Production-Only Thinking

We have historically been production focused: Get it done. Speed. Quality. But to what end? When productivity disconnects from our vision, it leads to an accidental path rather than an intentional one.

→ Going Deeper with Collaboration vs. Production

Vision & Mission — Sections 2.2 and 2.3

Review our Vision and Mission to further your understanding

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5.4

The Working Genius Working Genius as a Collaborative Tool

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At TDC, we use Pat Lencioni’s Working Genius model as a way into collaboration. It is a fluid, organic way of seeing each other so that whether we collaborate on an opportunity or a challenge, we can operate from our truest and best selves.

Important: This Is Not a Label

The Working Genius is not meant to be a typecasting tool for labelling people and assembling them every time for the right outcome. It is a guideline for management and professional development alike — how do we put our people in positions to succeed?

The model outlines six essential steps in the natural progression of getting work done. A firm grasp on the WIDGET approach helps us collaborate more effectively and thoughtfully at TDC.

W — Wonder

Identifying needs and possibilities — asking the big “what if” questions

I — Invention

Creating original and novel solutions and ideas

D — Discernment

Evaluating ideas and identifying what will work

G — Galvanizing

Rallying, inspiring, and motivating others to act

E — Enablement

Providing support and assistance where needed

T — Tenacity

Pushing through to ensure completion and results

Resources for Going Deeper

Copies of Pat Lencioni’s The Six Types of Working Genius are available for anyone in DaleNation who wants one. Additional resources — including assessments, guides, and application tools — will be made available as we continue to build out this section of the OS. Reach out to your manager or team lead to get your copy.

5.5

Collaboration in Motion Collaborative Ecosystems

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Now we dive into the collaborative environment — what we call Collaborative Ecosystems — and see how collaborations initiate and drive success throughout our organization.

Shared Language

A common framework for everyone

Reproducible

Scalable and desirable in the market

Human Dimension

Not just what —
but how we do it

People Business

Creating highly productive, efficient teams

The TDC Collaborative Ecosystem Includes

Overview & Definition · Preparing the Environment · The Five Principles · The Five Core Functions · How This Works in Real Life.

The Ecosystem has been implicitly present since our founding in 1959 — through the OS, we’re giving it a language all of us can learn and deploy together.

5.6

Overview & Definitions What Is a Collaborative Ecosystem?

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At TDC, collaboration isn’t rigid or fixed. It’s a living ecosystem — like any healthy ecosystem in nature, it thrives on adaptability, interconnection, and balance.

✓ What an Ecosystem Is

●A living network of human relationships designed to create ideas and solve challenges

●An intentionally created environment connecting teams and experts across the organization

●A shared reference point that helps everyone understand when and how collaboration needs to adapt

●A framework that anticipates and navigates transitions between project stages

✗ What an Ecosystem Is Not

●Death by meeting

●A call to “all hands on deck” for every task

●A rigid project plan or task list (though it informs both)

●A fixed, unchanging assignment of responsibilities

●A replacement for ongoing communication and adjustment

The Two Parts of Every Ecosystem

1. The Five Principles of Collaboration — Outline what needs to be considered in any given Ecosystem to successfully advance it.

2. Five Core Functions — How people involved in a collaboration engage at any given moment to launch the Ecosystem and begin working together.

5.7

The Five Principles Five Principles of Collaboration

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Any time we initiate a Collaborative Ecosystem, Five Principles are in play that deliver a flexible foundation for effectively moving through a shared mission.

1

Clarified Responsibilities — Making sure everyone knows who’s responsible for what. This is a collaborative discussion started by the person or people who launch a shared mission. The responsibilities are connected to the expertise required and the Five Core Functions.

✓ In Practice — We started by clearly outlining who would handle each major component.

✗ When Missing — Nobody was sure who was supposed to order the materials, so they weren’t ready when we needed them.

2

Cross-Functional Work — Getting different perspectives and abilities working together across TDC’s family of companies, across departments within a single company, or externally between our family and partners or clients.

✓ In Practice — The solution came when GC, Subcontracting, IT, the architect, engineers, and field crews collaborated instead of working separately.

✗ When Missing — The design looked great on paper but wasn’t practical to build because field expertise wasn’t included early enough.

3

Expertise Specialization — Identifying and empowering individual members to apply their specialized knowledge effectively, whether working independently or within team settings, while maintaining collaborative connections inside the Ecosystem. Balance is key.

✓ In Practice — Our scheduling specialist created plans independently, then brought them to the operations team and contractors for collaborative review.

✗ When Missing — We ended up with disjointed results because each expert worked in isolation without connecting to the broader team goals.

4

Continuous Understanding — Continually checking in and adjusting our course of action based on what we learn throughout the project, and thoroughly reviewing results after completion. This must begin when the Ecosystem forms.

✓ In Practice — After the first phase, we changed our approach based on what worked well and what didn’t.

✗ When Missing — We kept making the same mistake throughout the entire project because we never stopped to evaluate.

5

Efficient Resource Allocation — Getting the right people and tools where they’re needed most at the right time. Resources must be top-of-mind when the Ecosystem forms, once objectives are set, and throughout the mission.

✓ In Practice — When priorities shifted, we quickly reallocated our team to focus on the most urgent tasks.

✗ When Missing — We had our best people stuck on low-priority work while critical tasks were understaffed.

5.8

The Five Core Functions How DaleNation Collaborates

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Anytime we engage in a shared mission, five functions emerge that create the central players of a Collaborative Ecosystem. These functions are flexible and can change over the course of a collaboration. You'll naturally shift between them throughout your day or week.

A Flat, Non-Hierarchical Structure

The Ecosystem is based in the idea of a flat, non-hierarchical structure where communication, ideas, and work naturally flow. These functions won't necessarily align with your job title — and some members may inhabit multiple functions at the same time.

G

Guiding

Holding the big picture in alignment with vision and mission

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Helping everyone understand where their work fits within the broader vision and mission, identifying connections across teams, companies, and outside entities, and guiding the team in the right direction overall.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE — “During a project meeting, José guided everyone when he reminded us how our deadline affects the other teams waiting on our work. He also brought in the facilities team when he recognized we needed their input.”

KEY VALUE — Provides the ability to see across boundaries, keeps the team from working in isolation, and ensures all efforts align with broader organizational goals.

D

Driving

Propelling the shared mission forward

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Keeping things moving forward, motivating the team and helping overcome obstacles while maintaining focus on desired results. Driving and Guiding are interdependent functions.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE — “When we got stuck on the design issue, Lisa drove us by organizing next steps, inspiring fresh ideas while keeping everyone energized despite the challenge.”

KEY VALUE — Balances practical progress with team motivation — recognizing when to push forward and when to rally spirits.

T

Tracking

Documents decisions and creates continuity

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Documenting and archiving decisions and the decision-making process, fast-tracking forward motion by reminding the Ecosystem where we are and where we left off. Tracking is dependent on great Documentation (Section 3.2).

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE — “Michael tracked our meetings by taking notes and sending clear summaries — including all Ecosystem members who couldn’t attend — so we all knew what was decided and could pick up exactly where we left off.”

KEY VALUE — Makes independent work possible by ensuring those who are specializing and contributing have all the context they need without constantly checking in.

S

Specializing

Bringing unique expertise to bear

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Using our expert knowledge and skillset — our superpowers — when they are needed to complete the shared mission. Providing precise input or skill when specific knowledge is required.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE — “Jennifer was brought in to specialize on this project because she is an expert in her field and has specific experience in similar shared missions.”

KEY VALUE — Equips a shared mission with the right skill for the right job at the right time.

C

Contributing

Using skills to execute the shared mission

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The act of working to get things done. Keeping momentum going by handling what’s next, doing what’s needed, and showing up with purpose.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE — “Everyone Contributed when we needed to meet the deadline, often doing tasks outside their usual job.”

KEY VALUE — Gets jobs done safely and to high standards of excellence.

↑ Going Deeper with Core Functions

Communication & Documentation — Section 3

The Core Functions require a solid grounding in both disciplines

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5.9

Collaborative Ecosystems in Action Real-Life Examples

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Here are two examples of Collaborative Ecosystems to give you a sense for how they work. Nothing is better than actually participating within one.

Example 1: A Typical Project Meeting

D

PROJECT MANAGER

DRIVING

Maria (normally a project manager) is Driving, keeping the discussion on track.

S

FIELD SUPERVISOR

SPECIALIZING

John Specializes when safety issues come up.

T

JUNIOR MEMBER

TRACKING

Alex is Tracking by documenting decisions.

G

SENIOR MANAGER

GUIDING

Pat Guides by connecting the discussion to company goals.

C

EVERYONE

CONTRIBUTING

Everyone adds ideas and is Contributing when action items are assigned.

Why it worked: People stepped into the functions needed at that moment — not because of their job titles.

Example 2: Responding to a Project Challenge

When unexpected soil conditions are discovered at a site:

S

FIELD CREW

SPECIALIZING

Shares expert, detailed observations about the soil conditions.

G

SUPERINTENDENT

GUIDING

Steps in, delivering Guidance on how this affects the overall project.

D

PROJECT ENGINEER

DRIVING

Drives one subset of the team, organizing the immediate response.

D

PROJECT MANAGER

DRIVING

Also Drives by clarifying responsibilities and assigning investigation tasks.

T

ECOSYSTEM MEMBER

TRACKING

Documents the decision-making response and archives it for future projects.

5.10

The Collaborative Ecosystem Day by Day Putting It Into Practice

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When Joining a Project or Meeting

Notice what function is needed now.
Be willing to step into different functions based on what will help most.
Recognize when new functions are required and support those taking them on.
Speak up when you have specialized knowledge that would be valuable.

When Things Get Challenging

Focus on what’s needed rather than getting stuck in “that’s not my job.”
Help identify who has the relevant expertise.
Make sure decisions and next steps are tracked.
Remember that functions can and will shift as needs change.

The Collaborative Ecosystem Q&A

How do I know when to transition between functions?

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Pay attention to shifting needs throughout a project or meeting. Function transitions often happen naturally. Look for signals: when people seem unsure about direction (→ Guiding), when progress stalls (→ Driving), when information is getting lost (→ Tracking), when expert knowledge could solve a problem (→ Specializing), or when specific tasks need to be accomplished (→ Contributing).

These transitions are often subtle and fluid. You might notice yourself saying things like “Let me remind us of the bigger picture here” (shifting to Guiding) or “I think I can help with that specific issue” (shifting to Specializing).

What if multiple people try to fill the same functions?

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This happens naturally and isn’t necessarily a problem. Multiple people often Contribute simultaneously. Different experts might provide Specialized insights on different aspects. However, Guiding or Driving can become confusing when multiple people try to simultaneously direct the team. When this happens: acknowledge it openly, discuss what the situation actually needs, decide together who will take point — and commit to it. Remember it’s about what serves the work, not about status or control.

How does this fit with our formal family of company structures?

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The Collaborative Ecosystem exists alongside our formal structure — they complement each other. The Ecosystem offers day-to-day flexibility, ways to leverage everyone’s strengths regardless of position, and cross-functional cooperation that transcends department boundaries. The formal structure provides long-term stability, professional development pathways, and clear authority for certain decisions. Your manager remains your primary source for career guidance and performance feedback — while the Collaborative Ecosystem helps you navigate daily work and shared-mission projects more effectively.