No matter how cheesy or cliché they may sound, the sayings “teamwork makes the dream work” or “there’s no ‘I’ in team” are true. Working together boosts morale because seeing someone complete tasks efficiently inspires others to do the same—which improves office productivity. Without workplace collaboration, it would be impossible for the company to achieve its goals!But that only scratches the surface of why we collaborate. Plus, you must also consider which technology and services to invest in to boost workplace collaboration. Let’s dive deeper and learn how to increase collaboration between teams to understand its gravity fully.
Ultimately, every business aims to thrive and generate profit. Let’s simplify that by putting it in the context of a puzzle—the company goal is the completed picture. Finishing it requires various puzzle pieces, such as teaming up, to fill every gap. With effective workplace collaboration, your business and your employees reap the following benefits:
When companies allow employees to collaborate, it creates a space for learning and development. Each person attains a new skill from another since everyone has something to bring to the table. Together, employees can develop critical work skills like problem-solving, communicating, and active listening.
To elaborate further on the previous point, learning and growing with others inspires people to be more hands-on with projects and deliverables. Successful collaborations create a sense of fulfillment and motivate the team to keep going and continuously perform at efficient levels. This joy for work can eliminate employee burnout and increase retention at the same time.
Bottlenecks are bound to occur if only one person works on a project—it might take days or weeks for them to find a solution. Conversely, collaborating will improve productivity because everyone works together to make things happen. Plus, you can maximize the flow of creative ideas since everyone gives input.
Now that we know why collaboration matters, it’s time to learn how to increase collaboration between teams. Here are some helpful tips:
Collaboration in the workplace can be intimidating, but this shouldn’t deter you from getting closer to your teammates. Break the ice by being more open with co-workers. Let people know what areas of the task you’re struggling with, so they’ll find a way to help you. In return, your teammates will start to warm up and do the same quickly! If there’s a chance for you to help, don’t be afraid to jump in.To make this successful, create a judgment-free environment where everyone can be honest and open. This safe space will make your teammates more comfortable voicing their opinions, whether it’s a suggestion for an upcoming project or even office ergonomics.
It’s time to encourage your teammates to speak up and share their ideas after creating a cultivating environment. More often than not, having different perspectives is good for workplace collaboration because it expands the possibilities. Constantly throwing concepts around with one another will eventually lead you to a blended solution.Let’s have an example to paint a picture—say one of your team members notices a recurring problem in the form of repetitive tasks. They suggest adopting an automated technology solution, prompting you to learn more about it and discover great leads!
If you’re wondering how to collaborate effectively, don’t underestimate the power of bonding with your team outside after work. Doing so builds rapport because everyone learns one another’s quirks and personalities. In turn, it’ll be easier for team members to be more comfortable with each other. Such familiarity helps during collaboration because it erases the feeling of intimidation!
Whether you’re a team leader or a member, it’s best to lead by example. Displaying healthy and efficient work habits might just inspire others to do the same. Your actions could turn into a ripple effect and influence everyone around you to make a positive impact, too!
Technology dramatically improves employee efficiency and productivity by eliminating menial deliverables such as file naming, organizing, and importing. By adding automation to workspace collaborations, your team members have more time and energy to focus on urgent tasks for a project.If your team works remotely, make files accessible to everyone by uploading the necessary ones to the cloud. All authorized users will have access to this, which makes tracking progress and editing documents so much easier.
Collaboration in the workplace is essential in achieving the best results that will make your business thrive. But even if we have all hands on deck, expert teams still need the right tools to function efficiently and effectively.Integr8 offers performance-enhancing document solutions to take workplace collaboration one step further. From managed print services to digital document management and cloud printing management—our services will help you and your whole team stay on track and ace projects in no time!Book a consultation with us today.