Teamwork Makes the Company Dream Work! Here’s Why Collaboration in the Work Place is Essential for Success.
Gone are the days of slaving away alone in a cubicle! Nowadays, it’s all about collaboration and teamwork — and for good reason. The benefits of collaborating at work are hard to deny.
Is your company utilizing effective strategies to improve collaboration in the work place? If not, you just might be missing out on the success and efficiency your company deserves!
Keep reading for more information on what workplace collaboration means. Learn why it’s so important and how you can encourage more collaboration in your own company.
What Is Workplace Collaboration?
Collaboration is more than just a buzzword. It’s about building a workplace culture where everyone is a team player. It means everyone has something of value to contribute to tasks and projects.
Collaboration means working together across the entire workplace. It means recognizing that “two heads are better than one.”
Collaborating at work requires clear communication across departments and levels. Building a strong, collaborative team is not about having more meetings. Rather, it’s about bringing in tools that will streamline communication and encourage efficiency.
Why is Collaboration in the Work Place Important?
So you’ve got an understanding of what workplace collaboration is, but the real question is: Why is collaborating at work important?
Let’s look at a few benefits of collaboration in the workplace:
Employees Feel Happier in Collaborative Environments
Consider this Stanford study. It showed that employees who worked in a collaborative environment had greater intrinsic motivation in completing their tasks. Basically, that means they worked diligently because they wanted to.
Another example is the communications and marketing firm, Waggener Edstrom. They showed that implementing collaborative practices increased overall workplace morale.
Effective Collaboration Practices Improve Workplace Performance
Unsurprisingly, happier employees are more productive! Working together as a team leads to overall higher workplace performance. Ultimately, the higher performance makes for a more successful company.
Collaborative Teams Are More Efficient
When you collaborate, you delegate and divide up large, challenging tasks among an effective team. This means projects can be completed faster and often with higher quality.
Employees Can Learn from Each Other
Workplace collaboration gives each employee the chance to hear the perspectives and viewpoints of their coworkers. It gives an opportunity to learn new skills from each other.
Collaborating across departments also means that employees will be more aware of each others’ roles and importance. It helps employees to better understand the company as a whole.
Workplace Collaboration Ultimately Leads to Happier Customers
Think about it. Collaborative teams can communicate more quickly across departments. In turn, this means that companies are able to more quickly find solutions for their customers.
Faster solutions = happier customers = more business success.
How Can Our Company Institute More Collaborative Practices?
Wondering what you can do to improve collaboration in the workplace? Here are some tips!
Foster a Culture of Collaboration
That culture begins by ensuring that each team member is given a voice and is made to feel valued in the workplace. When employees feel comfortable with each other, they will be more open to collaborating with each other.
Use the Right Tools
Modern technology has given us more tools than ever to increase workplace collaboration. There are group chats, shared cloud drives, free conference call software, and more!
Whatever tools you choose, make sure they will work within your company. Consider your workplace culture and the tasks you hope to accomplish. Choose the tools that will help you reach those goals.
Always Be Open to Growth
As a company, keep yourself up-to-date with the latest research. Stay open to your employees, and listen to their needs in the workplace. Be willing to change and grow accordingly.
Go Forth and Collaborate
Now you’ve learned a bit more about collaboration in the work place. We challenge you to think about how you can implement more collaborative practices in your company. We’re confident that the time investment will pay off!
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