Team collaboration is a group of people working together to achieve the same goal. It is not as simple as it sounds but can have amazing results, such as meeting deadlines successfully, reducing costs and producing much more effective work. The commonly held belief is that the key to achieving all this is simply to hire a group of clever people. However, that is not necessarily how goals are achieved. If the individual team members don’t know how to work in collaboration with others without conflicts arising, then it doesn’t matter if they are extremely intelligent or highly skilled.
Collaboration and teamwork can often be more difficult to achieve than working individually, there is much less to consider when there is only one person accountable for completing a task. However, collaboration, done properly, almost always results in a better outcome.
In this article we outline some of the ways you ensure great collaboration within your team and consequently better outcomes for your business.
1. Set Clear And Precise Goals
A team needs to be very clear about the goal(s) that they are trying to achieve. Any confusion or misunderstanding across the team about the objectives that need to be met is likely to hinder progress in achieving the goal. What measures can I take to encourage collaboration and teamwork within my team? Ideally, a team should discuss what they need to achieve every day, so that each member is fully aware of progress, next steps and everyone is on the same page.
2. Acknowledge Each Individual
For a team to be successful each individual needs to be heard and treated equally. This means that every opinion, no matter how different it is from other opinions, needs to be acknowledged, respected and given appropriate consideration. This not only encourages everyone to participate but also brings new and diverse ideas to the table.
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3. Communication Is Important
If an idea is identified as being irrelevant, that needs to be communicated. If a person thinks they have a better idea than what is being pursued, it needs to be communicated. If someone is confused about what is going on, they need to communicate. I cannot stress enough the importance of communication for the success of every aspect of your business, but particularly for collaboration. When team members fail to communicate with each other, conflicts arise very easily. However, when everyone is comfortable communicating, ideas (no matter how outlandish) will be shared without hesitation and misunderstandings will be addressed.
4. Listen Before You Speak
It is very important for the members to actively listen and not just speak, for a team to function successfully. Listening can not only help people to learn but it can also help make the speaker feel that they are being heard and encourage them to participate more. Additionally, it can also help those listening to understand where the person speaking is coming from and connect to them in ways that would otherwise not be possible. Constructive criticism should also be heard; it helps individuals within a team to grow and learn from each other.
5. Talk About The Mission
The topic of the mission of the group should be visited again and again. This is because it not only puts things into perspective and avoids taking the wrong direction but also motivates the team to work harder and more efficiently.
6. Manage Conflict
Conflict can never be completely eradicated between groups of individuals working together. It can, though, be managed successfully. Conflicts should be resolved completely by the team leader so that there is no residual tension between the members of a team. This tension could have dire consequences on the productivity of the group. It creates gaps, and people might refuse to cooperate with one another, significantly disrupting the work efficiency and the ability to meet goals.
7. Distribute Responsibilities Adequately
If a team is working toward the same goal, each member’s responsibilities need to be distributed fairly. This means that everyone should be given tasks equally, rather than overloading one or two members with work, Also, consider that each individual has different strengths and weaknesses. Some might be good planners, and others might be good at speaking in front of a big audience. Divide the team’s responsibilities according to the individual’s strengths because that is how a team can be the most successful.
8. Hold Others Accountable
Each individual within the team should be aware that they will be held accountable if they do not meet the goals given to them or does not cooperate with the rest of the group. If there is no accountability, members may not prioritise their work for the team, may not learn or could be allowed to produce inferior work.
9. Create A Safe And Creative Space
This is extremely important because individuals will only be able to put in all their effort if they know that their work is appreciated. Leaders should encourage and support their workers so that a safe space is created. In addition to this, creativity should also be encouraged. Members will only suggest ideas that are outside the box if they feel comfortable and supported within the team.
10. Knowledge Is Power
An employer should lead their team and organisation by sharing their own experiences, examples and overall knowledge. This should include successful experiences and also failures, whatever the setting requires. This not only helps them idealise the right accomplishments and produce similar effective results but also, when a team fails, it helps them pick themselves back up.
It is a slow process but it is possible for any business to create a space that nurtures a group of people to work in collaboration. This can be accomplished by encouraging members of a group to communicate, listen to all ideas, be open to constructive criticism, learn from each other and to know the goals and expectations of an organisation and fulfil their responsibilities, as well as simultaneously be prepared for accountability when they don’t.
If done in the right way, team collaboration can bring about amazing results.
By Justin Charlton
Join the NoLimits Business Community
Are you a business owner looking to take your business to the next level? Join our innovative community of like-minded professionals and gain access to a wealth of valuable resources, including a community portal to chat with other business owners, ebooks, business development software, and growth events that will transform the way you do business. Best of all, these resources are completely free and will be available to you forever.
But the benefits of joining our NoLimits business community don’t stop there. By becoming part of our community, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other business owners, share insights and ideas, and build valuable relationships that will help your business thrive. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to supercharge your business and join us today!