Why is collaboration fundamental for a company’s success?
As people’s skillsets become increasingly specialized, collaboration as a practice becomes more important in the workplace than ever before. Collaboration is the process of group work. But it is also a learned skill. How well you collaborate with others will greatly impact the outcome of a project. Collaboration is what makes teamwork successful. It’s really that simple. Read on about the seven reasons why collaboration is important—
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
Henry Ford
Helps us problem-solve:
In short, you should collaborate with your team to solve any problems at hand. When a group of people pool their knowledge, skills, and expertise, then talk problems out and debate potential solutions, projects that were stalled will begin to move forward once again. Collaboration ought to inform the way your team works—it should be baked in. The more eyes on a given project from the start, the easier it will become to spot problems and solve them.
Brings teams closer together:
If you’re finding that certain teams in your business rarely interact with each other, operating in isolated silos, you might want to try putting together a mixed-skills team. These a generally ad hoc teams that tackle projects which require people with diverse skillsets. In doing so, you will have used collaboration to break down some walls in your business and tighten up connections between departments.
Can learn from each other:
The best thing about working with people who bring different skillsets and backgrounds is learning from their experience. Collaborating with other team members should be thought of as a learning experience, and you should try to make the most of it. Learning from colleagues means asking for feedback and opinions, sharing knowledge, and seeing how others approach a project. Teams that do this are on the first step toward building a workplace culture centered around learning and development.
New channels for communication:
Working with new people from different areas of your business also opens up channels that would otherwise remain closed. Finding new ways to communicate and share information is hugely important to the success of any business, which is why collaboration should be utilized whenever possible to form bonds between departments. Creating a more cohesive workplace benefits everyone because maintaining regular, direct communication, helps you gain valuable insights into the operations of each department and be able to resolve issues quickly.
Boosts Morale:
As connections are made between teammates and departments, people will naturally trust each other more, which can gradually boost the morale of your entire organization. Regularly working together with people outside of your own team or department is one of the most effective ways to build trust. The higher your company’s morale, the higher the likelihood that your people will feel comfortable working alongside team members from other departments.
Higher retention rates:
Because collaboration lays the foundation for a more open, connected, and engaged workplace, it’s appealing to future and current employees. An atmosphere where collaboration is front and center is important to your people, and will go a long way toward preventing them from looking elsewhere. Connection matters to people, especially in the workplace. We want to work with people we can trust, who understand our point of view, and who work well with others, especially those from differing backgrounds and areas of expertise.
Better efficiency:
For many types of projects, collaboration is oftentimes more efficient than independent work. When something is complex and demanding, we must be able to admit to ourselves when we need help. Collaborating allows us to divide up a heavy workload, find creative solutions, and wrap our heads around the big picture. An organization that makes collaboration a big part of its culture is more included to normalize this style of working, thereby creating better efficiency.
Creating a collaborative workplace takes time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. To kick-off a more collaborative workplace, start with new hires. Find different ways to get them out of their own role, their comfort zone, and give them a chance to connect with other team members. Give them projects that demand collaborative solutions. It is then, your business will start to see why collaboration is so important.
