In collaborative work environments, employees are fully engaged in team goals, and the organizational performance reflects it. It’s therefore a wish of every leader to foster an environment where employees work toward common goals.
Collaboration doesn't mean forfeiting personal goals. It’s possible to create situations where people use their strengths optimally for the good of the organization. Leaders need a bird's eye view of the organization’s activities to form teams, assign duties, supervise, get the right tools, and build a cohesive culture. If you're a leader looking to build a collaborative environment, Pro104 shares some ways to get there.
A Culture of Open Communication
When attempting to make collaboration a part of your organizational culture, Forbes notes that you must be intentional about open communication. Set the tone through regular communication of goings-on within the company, utilizing memos, meetings, and other formal communication channels.
Provide communication training to people you trust to lead teams. The communication style of these leaders should encourage team members to express themselves freely. The leaders should also be able to handle compliments and criticisms positively. This attitude transmits to the rest of the employees in your organization.
Use Document Sharing Tools
Proper collaboration is only possible when you provide people with the right tools. Productivity platforms, such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, have inbuilt or third-party document editing software integration. Your teams need a tool to share documents, make presentations, and edit on team projects. This includes invoices for those in accounting and management, which is made easy with a customized invoice generator. Using ready-made templates, you can customize with your choice of graphics, fonts, and colors, and employees are able to complete invoices and download or share them online.
Teams should also have tools to convert documents from one format to another for easier editing. PDF documents pose a challenge to edit. Luckily, Wondershare points out that many free conversion tools are available online, but your organization can opt for premium versions for added functionality.
More Collaboration Tools
Also, consider collaboration tools that make your business workflow efficient. For instance, if your team is working on a marketing campaign, use a template for a campaign roadmap to make it easier for everyone to stay on board with developments. Project tools, such as Click-up, break down projects into deliverables with due dates so that everyone knows their roles clearly. The team can also monitor the overall project progress score.
Reward Personal and Team Goals
Use your rewards system to influence behavior. Corporations normally use share options to instill a sense of ownership in employees. Similarly, during performance evaluations, reward both the team and individuals for excellent results. Take time to understand the nuances within your organization so that rewards are indeed impactful. Have you ever seen an organization hold its annual awards ceremony as a gala in a hotel? Such overtness is intentional for motivation.
Create a Sense of Community at Work
Your organization can employ subtle methods to create a sense of community. Consider creating a lounge area where people can have coffee and eat during breaks. The area may also have board games, a bookshelf, and a TV. The idea is to make people feel comfortable and promote interaction between junior and senior colleagues. You may also recognize people’s birthdays, academic achievements, and other notable events, including surviving medical challenges.
It’s All About Intentionality
Building a truly collaborative work environment requires intentionality from the leadership team. Implement these tips simultaneously in a sustained effort; eventually, working together becomes part of your organization's DNA.
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By Naomi Johnson from Lifebasedbusiness.net
