Do you inspire collaboration in the organization?

In business, collaboration has become a buzzword. While this concept may appear overused, the reality is that collaboration is the most successful technique of solving an issue in the age of technology and in general. However, creating an organically creative and collaborative workplace, particularly in a world where individual output is valued, can be difficult.

Employees must be willing to work together to achieve common goals, which can only happen in an atmosphere of trust, pride, and camaraderie. People must feel safe giving and receiving genuine constructive feedback, be motivated by a shared objective, and have the tools and opportunity to engage with one another. When people don’t see the value in integrating others in their work, silos occur. Diverse viewpoints are essential for developing innovative solutions. Here are some techniques to encourage collaboration in order to create teams that are actually comfortable working together.

1. Make collaboration a normal component of your day-to-day tasks.

The workload of a single employee may be sufficient to build a workplace isolation system. In other words, if employees believe that collaborative duties are slowing them down or taking time away from their individual responsibilities, they are likely to acquire a negative attitude toward teamwork. Employees are less likely to regard collaboration as a deterrent to their particular duties if it is made a fundamental value and integrated into everyone’s workflow.

2. Determine who the collaborative leaders are.

Leaders who enable cooperation, are the best motivators for teamwork. Managers and executives are in a unique position to establish collaborative settings and, as a result, have more control over the development of project-specific strategies. Individual achievement will certainly be favored by some leaders, who will likely rely on personal delegating. Others may take a step back and empower employees by giving them the tools and information they need to do the assignment as a group. It is therefore critical to identify executives who thrive in collaborative situations in order to make the organization more collaborative overall.

3. Make your collaboration expectations clear.

Similarly, you can’t expect your team to operate together if they don’t know you want them to. Set your expectation for collaboration as a minimal standard from the start. It should even be part of your onboarding process to show potential recruits that you value teamwork. Employee job descriptions should include information about their individual responsibilities as well as responsibilities that they are expected to perform cooperatively. By separating these, you’re establishing clear lines between what they should take personal responsibility for and what they should work on as a group.

4. Encourage a collaborative working environment.

For collaborative working situations, a sense of community is essential. People are more willing to apply themselves when they believe their viewpoint matters. People feel redundant and team-playing disintegrates when they know their viewpoint doesn’t count for anything. However, getting the circumstances just right might be difficult. You don’t want to overwhelm your staff with meetings and insist on cooperation for the sake of collaboration. After all, not every assignment necessitates collaboration.

Starting with a regular morning huddle is a good place to start. Invite your team to gather every day at the same time to review their goals, daily responsibilities, and opportunities for teamwork. These environments can help teams stay on track and reduce duplication and oversights.

5. Make use of the appropriate tools.

Workers frequently find it difficult to collaborate due to differing job duties or a lack of awareness of the business as a whole. Although a person in the marketing department may not fully comprehend the responsibilities of another employee in IT, enhancing general knowledge allows these two individuals to interact more effectively. It’s critical to discover the correct instruments for constructing that understanding bridge. A business simulation game, for example, encourages employees from disparate departments to apply their expertise to achieve a common goal. Employees may be more ready to collaborate on real-world activities as a result of this type of training.

Creating a collaborative environment is only the first step toward a more prosperous venture. Collaboration must be consistent and intentional in order to succeed, with resources and rewards devoted to its success. When team members believe they are a part of something special, they are eager to collaborate to get the ball across the goal line. Collaboration works because nothing is more meaningful, bonding, or growth-promoting than achieving a common goal.

Check out my related post: How to have a creative company culture?

Interesting reads:

https://hbr.org/2007/11/eight-ways-to-build-collaborative-teams

https://blog.hubspot.com/service/team-collaboration

https://www.proofhub.com/articles/importance-team-collaboration-workplace

https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-create-a-culture-of-collaboration-in-the-workplace

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/302126

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2013/07/30/the-12-habits-of-highly-collaborative-organizations/

https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-create-a-culture-of-collaboration-in-the-workplace

https://blog.jostle.me/blog/why-collaboration-is-important

https://www.capsim.com/blog/5-ways-to-encourage-collaboration/

https://www.tanveernaseer.com/does-your-leadership-inspire-collaboration-or-conflict/