Effective Collaboration In The Workplace

Collaboration is an act of working jointly with others to achieve a common objective. In the workplace, collaboration is when two or more employees work together to accomplish an organization’s set goal.

Collaboration is very synonymous with teamwork, which is often referred to as “higher level teamwork”. As the saying goes “teamwork makes the dream work”. I.e when two or more team members collaborate positively on a project, their teamwork achieves much more than individual effort.

It might interest you to know that some organizations in this 21st century are still faced with the issue of a lack of proper collaboration among team members, they see it as a no-brainer. One thing they fail to know is that failure to collaborate in the workplace can cost the organization’s revenue to dwindle and potentially damage its rapport with clients. About 39% of surveyed employees believe that people in their organization don’t collaborate enough which has posed a very big challenge for the organization.

Therefore, managers of organizations must see the need to foster a collaborative environment because it grants a business a stunning return on investment, as well as increases employee satisfaction. It is important to note that no business thrives with employees working in isolation. There is a strong need for team members to always come together to brainstorm and proffer solutions, to meet the company’s set goals.

A collaborative workspace enables employees to showcase their strengths as well as appreciate the expertise of others. Through this synergy, team members can achieve their maximum potential. Team members’ collaboration often helps the company come up with innovative ideas and out-of-the-box solutions.

There is a strong advantage when team members work together because they get to leverage diverse backgrounds, expertise, and experiences which allows them to surface unexplored perspectives. In as much as there is a strong need for employees to collaborate in the workplace, it is the sole responsibility of the manager to create an environment that facilitates collaboration with ways such as;

• Facilitating team building Exercises
• Encouraging new ideas from team members
• Grouping team members to accomplish a task
• Listen to employees’ feedback, etc.

When all these aforementioned and many more, are implemented in the workplace, it will foster collaboration. This article wouldn’t be complete without buttressing the benefits of collaboration in the workplace. Here are four (4) benefits;

1. Problem Solving: When employees work closely together, they will less likely face difficulties in solving problems at work, because different minds come together to brainstorm on an issue which often brings about a quick solution to any problem faced. Collaboratively, the team members come together to share a variety of knowledge, perspectives and experiences which are applied to solve problems.
2. Increase In Productivity: A collaborative environment significantly improves productivity because as employees work together, their overall productivity will increase which also leads to the organization’s increase in revenue. A company is as successful as the people working in it. When employees work together, they complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses which eventually makes them highly productive.
3. Positive Workplace Atmosphere: When employees work together effectively, it allows them to build strong social connections which gives the workplace a positive atmosphere. Rather than working in isolation and a feeling of constant competition among each other, team collaboration allows each of the team members to be appreciated for their strengths. Employees will always be happy to turn up to work when they feel they are among their friends and not rivals or enemies.
4. Increases Organization Profit: No doubt when employees collaborate, it increases productivity in the workplace, which positively affects the company’s revenue. When there is a strong collaboration among team members, they get the work done faster which allows them to accomplish tasks effectively with monetary benefits to the company.

Final Thoughts

Managers must see the need to create an environment that encourages collaboration because it offers the organization a whole lot of advantages. Collaborating in the workplace enables the organization to finish important projects and meet crucial deadlines efficiently. Team members also become highly productive in a collaborative environment.