Which is NOT listed as a basic competency for collaboration?

• A. Effective communication skills
• B. Self awareness
• C. Time management
• D. Team centered communication

Answer: (C)

Collaboration rests on how people interact and work together. Clear, effective communication is fundamental because it ensures information, expectations, and feedback flow accurately among team members. Self-awareness is crucial because recognizing how one’s own biases, emotions, and behavior affect others helps build trust and prevents discord from derailing the group. Team-centered communication keeps the focus on collective goals rather than individual agendas, fostering inclusive dialogue and shared responsibility for outcomes.

Time management, while essential for getting work done and coordinating efforts, is more about organizing tasks and schedules than about the core behaviors that define collaboration. It supports teamwork, but it isn’t a defining collaboration skill in most basic competency frameworks.