They say team work makes the dream work.
Building a highly effective team takes time and it takes work. Work done by the leader to pull it all together but also by the team.
In order to work in unison, understand each other and collaborate at a high level, teams must be vulnerable, uncomfortable and patient with themselves and with others.
Corey Moseley wrote a blog called the “7 Reasons Why Collaboration is Important”. He says, collaboration helps us:
Problem solve
Get closer together
Learn from each other
Communicate in new ways
Boost morale
Increase retention
Be more efficient workers
Feel free to go there and read more about each of these in his article.
One might wonder if collaboration is different than teamwork? We’d love to know your opinion.
Indeed.com says this about the two.
Collaboration is the action of working with one or more people who have different skill sets to produce something, such as finishing a project, developing a shared idea or completing a task. In business, collaboration refers to colleagues with varying areas of expertise working together on a common goal to accomplish a purpose or produce results. Workplace collaboration is a set of learned skills that can improve productivity, solve problems, foster healthy relationships and create teamwork.
Teamwork is the qualities, abilities and processes of working well with one or more people to accomplish a common goal. Teamwork in the workplace is a group's ability to work together effectively, communicate well, define roles and leadership, share resources and actively listen to each other. Teamwork is a set of learned skills that can boost morale in the workplace, build rapport, increase the quality and quantity of output and improve retention rates.
They also go on to talk about something called collaborative teamwork (the best of both worlds)!
Here are some ways to accomplish collaborative teamwork:
Establish intentional leadership. This type of leadership creates an environment for easy collaboration and purposefully considers and implements factors for good teamwork.
Make change a positive step. Learn to embrace change positively and let go of the fear of the unknown. This includes learning to accept failures and criticism with a positive attitude.
Clarify roles. Each team member needs clarification on their role in the group, their individual and group responsibilities and the group's expectations for them.
Create group problem-solving. Bring your team together by encouraging open dialogue and productive problem-solving strategies.
Take advantage of project management tools. There are a variety of online project management tools that can help track teams, organize projects, conceptualize ideas and improve communication. Try to find a program that works best for your team.
Let leadership change. Allow leadership roles to naturally shift and change as the project matures and different needs develop.
Celebrate individuality. Leaders should recognize individual efforts and understand that everyone works with different methods, styles and schedules.
Be a model of behavior. Instead of just talking about expectations, model for your team the integrity and accountability you want to see.
Stay curious. Help the team consider and explore outside viewpoints, look for overarching themes or ask questions about data.
Be humble. Show your humanity by being able to acknowledge when you're unsure of something. Asking for help is a natural part of collaboration and teamwork.
Create infrastructure. Prevent struggles when organizing a project by reviewing potential bottlenecks and creating open channels of communication.
Invite healthy debate. Turn discourse into a healthy debate with professional conduct and respectful communication.
Stratengy is here to help you navigate being a great leader in today’s world. Stratengy runs six month programs on how to transform your team. We help you improve your collaborative teamwork. We incorporate the Disc Assessment and the Five Behaviors Assessment.Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you and your team be more engaged, collaborative, and productive.
