Roxå and Mårtensson’s (2015) Microcultures and Informal Learning provides a useful heuristic framework to capture the microculture which defines our group and gives an in-depth insight into some of the conditions which describe our group. When we consult the framework, we see that we clearly belong in the Commons, where there exists a high level of trust, a clear sense of belonging, and ties of high significance within the group. These traits are coupled with an experience of shared responsibility where we all feel that we are in this together, we negotiate what we do, and we are impacted by what others do in the group. (See Table 1).
While other sections of this chapter delve into our shared responsibility towards the achievement of defined goals, (see Process, for example), this section focuses on how we developed trust, belonging, and connectedness through integrating our personal and professional lives.
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Table 1 Roxå and Mårtensson’s (2015) Microcultures and Informal Learning | ||
| High level of trust High Significance Strong ties Sense of belonging |
Low level of trust Low Significance Weak ties Sense of coexistence |
|
|---|---|---|
| Experience of a shared responsibility
Do things together Negotiate what to do Are impacted by what the others do |
The Commons Share a concern for a practice. Things are being negotiated in relation to the shared concern. An undertow of consensus. 'We're in this together' |
The Market Share a concern for a practice. Ideas compete. Things are negotiated with an undertow of conflict. Relationships are formalized through contracts. 'I look after myself.' |
| No Experience of a shared responsibility Do things in parallel No negotiation No interference from the others |
The Club Members are together without sharing a concern. Descriptions from practice are not challenged. Friendship and consensus is highest priority 'We'll always support each other' |
The Square Members share a space with strangers with no collective concern. Theings are negotiated only when necessary. Members enter into relationships and leave them continuously. 'Who are these people?' |
In this Commons, one aspect that strikes us in terms of that sense of belonging and trust is how this connectedness extends well beyond the writing projects at hand. It was in this concern for one another’s professional and personal development that a deep sense of trust and belonging emerged, which turned out to be essential ingredients for our successful collaborative writing projects. On any occasion that we came together, online or in-person, synchronously or asynchronously, we made sure to check in on one another at the outset of each meeting or communication, not just in a professional context but also in a personal context. This practice echoes findings noted by Day and Eodice (2001, p.49): “what struck us as we listened to [academics who write together] and then read the transcripts was their attention to, and sometimes almost reverence for, their relationships—both professional and personal.” In our situation, we were working within a variety of contexts where members of the team did not have an existing relationship. At the outset, we knew of each other by reputation and through brief encounters, in some cases, but we did not know each other well. (Link to MS Teams recording.) However, a sense of connectedness emerged quickly through our shared concern for one another, and in this interest and care for one another, we developed a sense of connectedness and belonging from which trust, which is the foundation for collaborative writing, was formed.
Trust is very important in collaborative writing. It is in the presence of trust that collaborators feel safe and are willing to engage. Trust is particularly important when writing collaboratively as members of the group must exchange constructive feedback and are sometimes faced with making difficult decisions. Participants need to know, understand, and trust that these decisions are being made in the best interest of the members of the group. Equally, empathy is an important aspect of building successful collaborative relationships so that members of the group feel valued and trusted. Understanding what others in the group might be going through professionally or personally or knowing what challenges they might be facing are very important in navigating successful collaborations and building this trust and empathy.
Our team developed a safe and trusting environment quite quickly, and when we, as a group, tried to understand how we had achieved this, we sensed that integrating the personal and the professional had facilitated the building of trust and empathy in the group. (Link to MS Teams Meeting.) Each session opened with some time dedicated to checking in personally and professionally on members of the group. This was never forced or planned; it simply emerged organically at the early stages and remained an important part of how we worked together as time progressed. During this time, we shared personal and professional achievements, joys, trials, and tribulations. At times, these were deeply personal; however, we attributed this openness to share these personal situations to the safe and trusted feelings of belonging which we experienced in the group. The open communication and active listening we demonstrated at the outset of each meeting carried right through to the more professional part of the meeting and to the writing process. Our open communication in sharing at the outset related to personal and professional matters was mirrored throughout our writing process, and is one of the factors which led to the successful collaboration amongst the group.
Like many other co-authors in this space, our team’s relationship started out as a professional partnership but quickly turned to one of care and interest in supporting one another in both our professional and personal lives, as exemplified by Lunsford when speaking of her collaborative writing relationship with Lisa Ede: “Our co-authoring skipped the professional partnership category and went right to intimate collaboration” (cited in Day and Eodice 2001, 115). Our experience concurs with Day and Eodice’s (2001) work that a strong sense of relationship, both personal and professional, is one of those “ineffable” qualities present in productive collaborations (15).