Not My Dog. Not My Cake. 5 Collaborative Mindsets to Build a Culture of Collaboration

Not My Dog. Not My Cake. 5 Collaborative Mindsets to Build a Collaborative Culture

I’m sure many of you know the story …

• Three generations gather for a birthday party.
• Everyone, except Grandma, heads outside to BBQ.
• Inside, Grandma sits quietly in her rocking chair, watching Judge Judy.
• Family dog Jody approaches the table and helps herself to the birthday cake, icing, candles, and all.
• The family returns, sees the crumbs, and asks, “Grandma, why did you let Jody eat the cake?”
• Grandma says, “Not my dog. Not my cake.”

Grandma’s answer may sound harmless, but it reflects two attitudes that can sink a team:

• “Not my dog” means not my responsibility.
• “Not my cake” means not my problem.

Together, they signal disconnection — the opposite of collaboration. Strong teams replace these attitudes with shared ownership and commitment.

5 Collaborative Mindsets that Support a Collaborative Culture

1. We All Own the Outcome: Everyone planned to celebrate and enjoy that cake. Shared goals mean shared responsibility. In collaborative teams, people protect the whole — not just their own piece.
2. See Something, Say Something: Projects move fast and have many parts. Speaking up early prevents small issues from becoming big ones. Collaboration means helping each other safeguard the shared goal — the “cake.”
3. We Win (or Lose) Together: When one person checks out (or is reluctant to speak up), the whole team feels it. Trust others to do their part and be dependable in yours.
4. Respect the Work Behind the Goal: Someone put time and care into making that cake. Respect your teammates’ effort by helping preserve the results.
5. Fix It Together: Once the cake’s gone, it’s gone. No amount of blame will bring it back. The best teams focus on solutions and learn from every mistake together.

Bottom Line:

Collaborative mindsets mean thinking beyond my task to our goal.
When teams stay aligned, the work flows—and everyone gets a slice of success.

~Cinda

Cinda Bond, MIPI, has been an OrgMetrics partnering facilitator for more than 10 years. She has facilitated more than 500 sessions for teams throughout the country. She also collaborates with engineering and construction teams to develop large documents containing hundreds of pages for construction contracts and proposals.
For more information please contact Cinda Bond, CindaBond@Orgmet.com / (925)640-9007 (cell), or OrgMetrics RobReaugh@Orgmet.com / (925)449-8300