As a business owner, you probably already know that effective collaboration within and between teams is crucial to team success.
But here’s the science to back it up!
A recent study from Salesforce showed that 86% of employees and leaders said that a lack of collaboration was the main driver of failure in organizations.
If you’re looking for ways to improve collaboration between your teams – and amp up team performance – here’s seven simple steps that can help.
1. Leverage communication platforms to collaborate
Collaboration simply isn’t possible without effective communication. Ensuring streamlined communications between your team is probably the single most important thing you can do to facilitate collaboration. While there’s a range of communication apps out there, Spike is one we’d really recommend checking out. Spike is a team collaboration app that integrates chat, video meetings, email, plus collaboration tools like shared documents, task and to-dos, and calendars. Ensuring a single app for communications means that all your team members are quite literally on the same page, and allows them to easily share their ideas, work, and feedback when collaborating on projects.
2. Create a Safe-Space for Communication
One of the biggest obstacles to employees sharing their ideas and taking a more collaborative approach is the fear of judgment or being rejected. It’s your responsibility as a leader to establish a judgment free workplace, where new ideas, discussions, and even pushback are welcome. There are a few key ways you as a leader can help nurture such an environment. For example, request feedback from employees on how a proposal should be actioned, or ask questions directed to the more introverted members of your team to encourage their participation and share their contributions.
- Lead by Example
On that note, it’s critical that as a leader, you set an example. Ensure an open-door (or open chat) policy, so that every employee knows you’re open to conversation. Make sure that in meetings, you only lead – but do not dominate – the conversation. Ask questions that give every team member the opportunity to speak, or set up specific times for each team member to present their work to their colleagues. Make sure that you also engage in open communication: you don’t need to share confidential information about the company, but be open about the challenges your organization is facing, or key goals you’ve accomplished.
-
Consider an Open Office Layout
If you can, also consider creating a physical space for collaboration. For example, office design. If everyone is segregated within their own offices or cubicles, it’s far less likely that they will speak to each other, organically sparking collaboration. An open-office layout, by contrast, where everyone can see each other or speak to one another across their desk, will lead to conversation, facilitating organic opportunities for collaboration. After all, so many great business ideas start as simple, casual chat.
- Create a Space for Employees to Converse and Collaborate
Even if you can’t redesign your office, make sure there are spaces to converse and relax – even if it’s just a meeting room with some board games, a ping pong table, and a coffee machine. Ensure to make space for collaboration outside the office as well, whether it’s after work drinks, or something more formal, like a team building activity or retreat. And this also applies to remote teams ! Create a meeting room that’s just for employees to hang out – watch the conversation flow, and the collaboration begin.
- Ensure Effective Conflict Resolution if Collaboration turns to Miscommunication
As communication and collaboration between team members improves, so inevitably will conflict. But conflict isn’t not always a bad thing ! Instead, turn the challenge of conflict into an opportunity: it’s a great way to bring employees together to voice their opinions and true feelings, while you serve as a mediator to help effectively resolve the conflict. Ultimately, effective conflict resolution enables team members to better understand each other, and ultimately, fosters a more communicative and collaborative workspace.
- Reward Collaboration !
Positive reinforcement is ultimately the greatest motivator for both individuals and teams. Whether you treat your colleagues to drinks for a team project well done, or share the team’s accomplishments with senior management, rewarding collaborative behavior will ensure it continues.