Reframing Teamwork: From Competition to Collaboration & Practical Strategies to Build Stronger Team Connections

Welcome to Part II of this five-part series. In the first edition of this series, I explored the foundational concepts behind team dynamics—looking at what shapes teams, how they function, the challenges that can arise, and how it all affects our well-being and performance as allied health professionals.

Now, it's time to shift gears.

This edition is all about reframing teamwork—moving away from the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) competitive culture that can exist in multidisciplinary settings and towards a more collaborative, relational way of working. It's also about giving you practical strategies to build stronger team connections—because good intentions aren't enough. We need real tools to back them up.

Let's get into it.

The Problem With Competition in Allied Health

Whether spoken or unspoken, many allied health teams experience competition between disciplines—or even within them. This might look like:

• Feeling like your discipline's perspective is often being deprioritised

• Competing for assessment time, government funding, or referral pathways

• Withholding knowledge or resources because you're not sure if others are sharing theirs

• Trying to "prove" your worth in a team that doesn't understand your role

In my honest opinion, most practitioners don't want to be competitive. It's usually a protective response rooted in fear, uncertainty, or a sense of not being valued.

This competitive mindset can feel isolating, exhausting, and counterproductive. It puts people in a defensive position and subtly undermines the whole team's cohesion. Worst of all, it impacts client care. Because when we're focused on turf wars or hierarchy, we lose sight of the goal: better outcomes for the people we serve.

Why Collaboration Requires a Mindset Shift

Before we talk strategies, we need to address mindset. Collaboration isn't just about teamwork exercises or joint meetings—it's a way of thinking. It means shifting from competitive thinking to collaborative thinking. Here are a few examples of what I am talking about:

Collaboration is not about being passive. It's about being proactive, clear about your role, and intentional in your relationships. It's about stepping into shared responsibility while holding onto your professional identity.

Common Barriers to Collaboration

Even when we want to collaborate, barriers often get in the way. Some of the most common include:

1. Role Misunderstanding

When other team members don't fully understand your scope of practice, it's easy to feel dismissed or undervalued.

What helps: Education and respectful curiosity. Offer to explain your role, and ask others about theirs.

2. Time Pressure

Collaboration takes time—and in fast-paced environments, it can feel like a luxury we can't afford.

What helps: Finding micro-moments to connect—between appointments, in shared documentation, or brief follow-ups after meetings.

3. Historical Team Culture

If previous team dynamics were toxic or hierarchical, people may be wary of engaging too deeply.

What helps: Acknowledge the past, but don't let it define the present. Trust builds slowly, but it starts with consistent, kind actions.

Practical Strategies to Build Stronger Team Connections

Here are concrete, evidence-informed strategies you can start using now—regardless of your role or how long you've been with your team.

1. Be curious before critical

When another practitioner makes a suggestion that doesn't sit right with you, pause before reacting. Ask:

• "Can you walk me through your thinking?"

• "I'd love to understand how you approach this."

This builds rapport, fosters mutual respect, and creates space for learning.

2. Name your perspective without defensiveness

Instead of staking a claim, invite collaboration:

• "From a social work lens, I see a few systemic barriers here. I wonder if others are noticing something similar?"

• "This is something I often support. Would it be helpful if I stepped in here?"

You're offering—not forcing—your input.

3. Normalise check-ins and debriefs

Clinical debriefs don't always need to be formal. Even 5-minute check-ins after a tricky interaction can help reset the team dynamic.

Ask:

• "Was there anything in that meeting that didn't sit well with you?"

• "Do we feel clear about who's doing what?"

Make space for emotional and logistical clarity.

4. Validate before redirecting

If you disagree with someone's perspective, validate their intention before offering your own:

• "I can see you're trying to make sure this client is supported holistically. From my end, I'm wondering if there's a slightly different route we could explore…"

This reduces defensiveness and invites genuine dialogue.

5. Collaborate in documentation

Treating case notes as an isolated task is easy, but they're a powerful place to build connections.

If appropriate, reference the input of other team members, e.g.:

• "In consultation with the speech pathologist…"

• "Following discussion in MDT…"

It builds transparency and reinforces shared care.

6. Invest in informal relationships

Not everything has to happen in a meeting. Strong teams are often built over coffee, quick chats in the hallway, or offering help without being asked.

A little generosity goes a long way. So does asking, "How are you going?"—and genuinely listening to the answer.

Leading from where you are

Leadership in team dynamics isn't reserved for managers or seniors. Anyone can lead collaboration by:

• Modelling open, respectful communication

• Advocating for clarity and inclusion

• Calling people in (not out) when tensions rise

• Celebrating others' contributions

• Being willing to reflect and adjust

When you lead with collaboration, others take notice—and often, they follow.

Reflection prompts

Want to bring this into your next supervision session or journal? Try reflecting on the following:

• When was the last time I felt truly part of a collaborative team?

• What habits or thoughts pull me into a competitive mindset?

• How do I typically respond when I feel excluded or dismissed?

• Can I reach out to someone in my current team and strengthen my connection with them?

• What kind of team member do I want to be known as?

What you might notice as collaboration improves

As you apply some of these tools, you may start to notice small but meaningful shifts:

• People loop you into conversations earlier

• You feel more confident contributing in meetings

• The team leans on each other more—without stepping on toes

• Clients benefit from more cohesive, wraparound support

• You feel less guarded and more energised at work

These changes might feel subtle at first—but they're cumulative. Collaboration builds momentum.

Final thought

"Collaboration doesn't mean losing your identity. It means trusting that everyone at the table brings something essential—and so do you."

Strong team dynamics aren't a bonus—they're a professional asset. When we move from competition to collaboration, we build better workplaces and better versions of ourselves as clinicians, colleagues, and leaders.

Coming Up Next…

Edition 3: Navigating Conflict When It Arises

I'll explore:

• The difference between healthy disagreement and toxic conflict

• How to raise concerns respectfully

• Strategies to repair ruptures and rebuild trust