Collaboration is not just a "pie in the sky" for CEOs to discuss at meetings at all levels. There are demonstrable benefits for companies that make collaboration a principle of their business culture. A recent study based on 1,100 companies found that companies that encouraged collaboration in their workflow were five times more likely to perform well.
Of course, although collaboration is a valid goal for businesses of all shapes and sizes, what is even more important is your execution. Simply forcing employees to work together in principle hinders productivity if the goal is not clear.
The first step to benefit from a collaborative-first culture is to consider your tools and processes. Are you equipped to support dynamic communication between departments and places? Do your existing tools prevent employees from reaching their full potential? Do important tasks and notifications slip through the cracks due to lack of delegation?
Here are some guidelines to effectively foster collaboration within your company.
Using User-Friendly Platforms for Collaboration
Did you know that email accounts for almost a quarter (23%) of the average work day of employees? We all experienced the frustration of returning to our inbox, looking for a specific message. Sometimes it is even necessary to ask colleagues to return a correspondence of great importance. Whenever "Reply All" strings appear, there is a possibility that the intended recipient is missing something important or forgets to answer. Email may be needed for basic communications, but it's a quick way to increase employee stress while slowing down productivity.
A better approach is to set up a user-friendly platform for collaboration. You've probably heard of some major players like Slack and Trello. These platforms give priority to the user experience, allowing employees to exchange files, send messages and more in a centralized hub. These interfaces tend to be much more intuitive than most email programs, which saves employees time and effort.
However, every time you incorporate a new platform or tool into your workflow, it's important to give users time to adapt. It is also worth training people on the main functions so that you can easily make the transition when the time is right.
Using Embedded Business Analytics
Many projects or decisions are based on the right people with the right data. Built-in business analysis makes it easy to integrate search-based analytics, charts, and dashboards directly into the workflow tools you already use. Suddenly, people inside and outside your organization can query the data and share the results, reducing the likelihood of delays or miscommunication. Insertion of analytics into the business applications that your employees and partners already use allows you to focus on what really matters: monetizing business data.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-20400" src="https://businessdigit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1524670020_537_boosting-collaboration-within-your-company.jpg" alt=" Members of a professional team working in team and collaborating "width =" 850 "height =" 567 "/>
Encouraging employees to work together
Having the right tools is the key. But the same goes for building a culture of sustainable collaboration from top to bottom. First, it is important that leaders put their money in their place and incorporate teamwork into their own practices. It is also important to explicitly define collaboration as a value, including concrete steps that will bring your organization closer to putting this principle into practice.
It is important to build a realistic framework for collaboration. Hypothesis-based team building exercises can be useful for establishing links, but they do not demonstrate how collaboration will occur. The best tactic is to ask real teams to solve real work-related problems. As they say, "The best way to learn is to do it." Giving employees the means to become acquainted with actual practice will help them solve increasingly complex and urgent problems, finding their own team instead. that a set of people.
Boosting collaboration within your company can have tangible benefits, such as increased revenue and happier employees. Just make sure you have the infrastructure in place before you make the jump.