Apr 25, 2019
I Take Teamwork And Collaboration Pretty Seriously (And So Should You)
Why? Well, the answer is surprisingly simple.
The future of workplace productivity depends on it.
It is fair to say that most modern businesses and teams are endeavoring to get more collaborative, and for a good reason.
In a modern workplace, traditional boardrooms have been replaced by flexible, dynamic workspaces, giving topics like ‘intelligent collaboration’ and ‘effective teamwork’ more importance in the business world.
In fact, a few years back, Stanford researchers concluded that even the perception of working collaboratively and collectively on a task can boost productivity. The participants of the research showed higher engagement levels, lower fatigue, and higher success rate when they were primed to act collaboratively.
The researchers said: “The results showed that simply feeling like you’re part of a team of people working on a task makes people more motivated as they take on challenges”.
Clearly, the future of work isn’t just about personal productivity — it’s also about unleashing the power of a TEAM using the right tools and practices. From platforms that simplify every aspect of work management to discovering new, improved ways to collaborate in a diverse or distributed work environment — new things are happening.
#PowerOfWe is the new wave of workplace productivity and it’s here to stay. There is no mistaking that organizations and teams want more collaboration and communication within the workplace, and see a constant need for it. What they all need is a clear direction to bring the change. And that’s exactly what this post is about.
In this article, you will look through workplace trends surrounding productivity, collaboration, teamwork, and happiness, followed by some of the most effective ways to cultivate team cohesion and build a collaborative work environment.
Here you go.
Some Eye-Opening Stats
As I mentioned above, the future of workplace productivity depends on teamwork and collaboration. Want to know why I consider teamwork and collaboration important to the success of any business? Here are a few stats that might help!
- 75% of employers rate teamwork and collaboration as “very important” to the success of their business or organization.
- 54% of employees say a strong sense of community (great team, strong teamwork, celebrating milestones, a common mission, etc) kept them at a company longer than was in their best interest.
- 86% of employees and executives agreed to the fact that the lack of collaboration and ineffective communication are key reasons for workplace failures.
- Up to 80% of businesses are now using social collaboration tools for streamlining and enhancing their business processes.
- 97% of employees and executives believe that lack of alignment within a team impacts the overall outcome of a task or project.
Ways To Boost Teamwork And Collaboration In The Workplace
1. Break down company silos
Lack of clear goals is a big issue. It’s the major reason behind the continuous of dropping productivity and employee retention across many organizations.
Breaking down company silos can be your move to help employees come together and make them become a part of the bigger picture through effective team communication and feedback sharing. Encourage brainstorming — ask everyone in your team to come up with ideas around their goals and how to achieve them.
2. Build new relationships or amend old ones
It’s statistically proven, employees that have better relationships at work are more productive and happier compared to the usual 9–6 workers. Organizing activities surrounding teamwork and collaboration as a whole company can help you to break the monotony.
They will help you inject eagerness and curiosity among employees from day one. Moreover, they will make it easier for employees to get familiar with their coworkers and the positive culture around them.
3. Use a team collaboration portal
Internal employee communication is one of the most important aspects of any organization. You could have the most talented and innovative people in your team, but without a cohesive culture, success cannot be sustained. Now, there isn’t a better way to improve employee communication than with introducing a collaboration software to your team members.
The software provides a platform where you and your team can share data and collaborate through one-on-one chats and discussion boards. That means you don’t need to draft emails or visit each other’s desk to get an ETA on a specific task or project. With the right kind of collaboration tool or messaging app, you can turn your boring office discussions to meaningful, fun conversations.
4. Practice clear and precise delegation of work
As a project manager, you must learn to play by your team’s strengths than working around their weaknesses. When delegating, take a quick look at each person’s individual strengths and assign tasks to whoever has the highest level of potential and range of skills.
Keep delegation transparent so that team members can collaborate and contribute their ideas to each other’s task list. Put it into practice and you will eventually increase your team’s overall productivity and each team member’s aptitude for tasks that play to their respective strengths. It’s a win-win situation.
5. Build interdependence and trust
Creating a sense of community and synergy in the team works far more effectively than you could’ve ever imagined. The measure of success for any organization accounts for the performance of each individual in its team — the ideas they bring to the table, the targets (projects, tasks, milestones, etc.) they achieve, the profits or losses they bring, and so on.
A department or an individual cannot single-handedly make an organization successful. The trust and understanding of mutual support within teams, departments, and decision makers is what drives success within the workplace. And for that, you will have to discover ways in which you can get your employees to understand each other’s personality and work style. Create a culture of healthy competition, let them thrive on each other’s success, and let them share constructive feedback.
Here’s Your Takeaway
Your team is your biggest asset. And when each team member comes together to collaborate and share their expertise, big things are bound to happen. Make sure that you do your best and provide everything your team needs to achieve success, together.
Oh and by the way, if you’re looking for an advanced team collaboration tool, ProofHub would be the perfect pick!
Author Bio:
Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder and CEO of ProofHub — a leading project management and collaboration software. He’s one person always on a lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams, and organizations. You’ll find him saying, “Let’s go!” instead of “Go!” many times a day. That’s what makes him write about leadership in a way people are inspired to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.
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