Years of research from major scholarly sources like MIT Sloan Management Review show the importance of collaboration for workplace success. Yet, even with this knowledge so easily accessible, many businesses continue to push training and development of teamwork to the back burner.
In project management, collaboration isn’t just important — it’s essential to meeting deliverables within budget effectively. Without teams working together, the project and profit may collapse. Communication is the key to success, but how can you make it happen within a group of people with significant differences?
Here, we’ll share the top tips on how to help your workplace collaboration thrive so your business can grow and expand organically.
1. Make Teamwork Integral to Every Project
Depending on your workplace, there are likely to be various individuals from a range of backgrounds and experiences working together on a project. This diversity can be a wonderful thing if it’s fostered well. However, without a common goal and encouragement to work together, it’s also possible that the differences will turn into disorganization and disagreements.
By making it clear through your workplace policies that teamwork is important, you set the stage for collaboration to become a priority. This connection is established from the top down: your leaders model and reiterate the importance of open and clear communication, your workplace policies reflect it, and company-wide education and development always includes teaching it.
2. Redefine What Communication Looks Like
For most people, communication is the top task performed on the job, but they don’t always realize they’re doing it. That’s because, in this tech-filled world, we’ve become accustomed to new ways of interacting with others. Consider how collaboration looks within your company’s teams, and clarify what is and isn’t appropriate within the structure of your workplace policies for each person.
Consider the technology you use within your office. Would you prefer your teams communicate on a dashboard where everyone can interact and find conversation logs easily? Or is it allowable for them to communicate in any forum they prefer (email, phone calls, text, etc.)?
Open communication makes it easier for the individual, but structured conversations simplify teamwork. It’s also a way for management to follow up if there is ever a complaint, as professional service automation (PSA) software stores all communication in a central hub for easy access by those with the correct credentials. (Learn more about PSA software in this article by Accelo.)
By clarifying the proper communication channels, team members don’t have to worry if they’ve missed an important message or search to remember where instructions were provided. Yes, it’s limiting them, but it also gives them the freedom of one structured collaboration place.
3. Connect the Teamwork Dots
Every person in a team plays a role, but if the members don’t realize how their tasks and efficiency affect the overall project, they may not always take their deadlines seriously. Sometimes, flexibility and cushion are built into the deliverables, but other times, there isn’t a lot of room for delays. Be transparent with these targets, and be clear about how everyone’s punctuality and efficiency impact the rest of the project team.
Knowing the project’s objectives and schedule can help the team collaborate better, feel more valued and motivated to be timely and accurate. When everyone is involved, the overall outcome is often better.
4. Establish and Model Open Communication
How comfortable is your team with sharing their thoughts and opinions with you? Open communication starts with the leaders in a company and trickles down to the team. When you model an open-door policy, you’re more likely to receive minor issues before they become major problems.
This policy might seem irritating sometimes when your team comes to you with things they could have handled. In those situations, teach them the proper way to deal with the situation, and encourage them to try it themselves the next time. But in some of those “small” concerns, you’ll find a potential avalanche of trouble that you can nip in the bud fast.
For example, a team member who has just received bad news in their personal life that could affect their work has to choose whether to share it with their boss or try to work through it. If you’ve modeled compassion and empathy, they’ll probably let you know what’s going on early so that you can be prepared to have someone else cover their work. If you haven’t encouraged honesty, though, you might find them calling out of work sick at the last minute or struggling to do their job efficiently.
When you want your team to communicate, don’t assume they know how to. Teach them what it looks like in your interactions with each person.
Conclusion
Collaborative teamwork is the research-backed way to success and profitability. Yet, as the leader of a business, you may need to teach your workers what this target goal looks like, just as you train them to use workplace software and learn the skills necessary to complete a task. It all begins with leadership. From there, your teams will feel valued, encouraged, and safe communicating with each other and you.
