How to Improve Team Collaboration
Collaboration enhances how teams work together, it can boost creativity and assist in coming up with solutions to business problems. However, there are many obstacles to collaboration and hybrid and remote working is one.
Why Team Collaboration is Important
We have all heard the phase “five heads are better than one”. When it comes to working this truly can be the case. When undergoing projects or coming up with campaigns there may be several elements to manage.
Having five heads instead of one, will enable people to build on one another’s idea, spot possible problems and speed up processes. These reasons alone show that collaboration is key for businesses.
Remote Collaboration Challenges
Now, when it comes to remote working, collaboration is more challenging. According to Harvard Business Review, this is why:
Vague Tone
It’s harder to gauge tone on messenger or email. Messages on text can come across passive aggressive. Alternatively, you may feel as though your colleague is ignoring you because they are not responding.
Low Energy Interaction
Remote working removes that face to face interaction, which can be essential when it comes to creating an energy in the room to bounce wild ideas off one another.
Low Engagement
People are not engaged – One example to indicate this is no one turning their cameras on in a meeting. This type of environment does not encourage people to ask questions and throw out ideas because it feels as though they are speaking to a blank wall.
Asynchronous Working
People are are often working at different times and across different time zones. This can be a very difficult adjustment to make when it is a collaborative effort.
How to Improve Team Collaboration in the Workplace
Some tips to foster collaboration in your workplace.
Team days
Have team days in the office focused on people working together.
Team-building activities
Try team-building activities. It is much easier to propose ideas and critique others’ if everyone feels psychologically safe. Try hosting some team building activities to enable people to get to know one another better and establish relationships.
Online work spaces
Use a shared online work space – try using Miro (an online whiteboard). This will enable you to brainstorm and collaborate with others, even if people are working asynchronously.
Collective goals
Establish team goals – This will encourage people to work together and become more cohesive.
OR, try some Serious Play
Another way you can enhance collaboration between individuals within a team is via building shared models in Lego Serious Play (LSP).
This encourages everyone to build their ideas, listen to one another and take everyone’s input on board to answer challenging questions or problems.
