Why Collaboration is the Crucial to Productive Teams

Why is collaboration so important? You may ask, ‘I already have a strong team of professionals, so what could be more beneficial to my business?’ Glad to let you know that a formidable team of experts who collaborate is much more beneficial! 

Collaboration extends beyond teamwork. Unlike teamwork, which entails a team working together to meet the goals and objectives of a project, with each member having distinct responsibilities and not necessarily sharing common values, collaboration differs – it requires more! Collaboration takes a deeper level of engagement. With collaboration, team members share common values and work towards one goal in the most efficient, respectful and sustainable way, and team members do not have to be forced or coerced to cooperate. 

In a survey carried out by Fierce Inc. in 2011, they found that 86% of employees and executives cite a lack of collaboration as the top reason for workplace failures. What this tells us is that to attain team success, especially in this digital transformation age, building strong collaboration is a necessity.  

Just as humans have love languages that speak to them, resonate with them, and help them solidify their relationships, collaboration is the love language that unites high-performing teams. Collaboration improves trust, increases productivity, and lets creativity and innovation thrive. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to explore how businesses can embrace collaboration to empower their team, build harmonious working relationships, foster trust, share common values and drive success.  

Communication and Trust – The Foundation of Collaboration

The cord that binds any great relationship together—be it romantic or professional—is communication and trust. In a survey on collaboration conducted by Slack in 2018, almost all 7,000 workers surveyed across 17 countries opined that seamless communication with their colleagues was the main factor that fostered good collaboration, buttressing that communication is fundamental to thriving teams and achieving collective goals. 

1. Open & Transparent Communication 

Businesses face several challenges, including unplanned circumstances, almost on a daily basis. These challenges often require swift responses or solutions, which often come from team members. Poor communication will hinder the provision of collaborative solutions to solve challenges. 

In addition, without clear communication, there would be misunderstandings and misalignments, delays in meeting project goals, and teams would generally struggle. To thrive as a team, businesses must prioritize open communication and ensure that every member of the team has unrestricted access to all necessary information. 

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson. 

How can businesses foster better communication? 

• Create a Positive Work Environment: A work environment with a positive culture, such as team-bonding exercises and first-name policy, irrespective of employees’ cadre or position, can promote better communication. 

• Adopt Collaboration Tools: Slacks, Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams are some collaboration tools that can help your team achieve seamless communication. 

• Setting Clear Expectations: When expectations are clear, and every employee knows what’s expected and the roles they have to play, it becomes effortless to communicate and collaborate. 

• Encourage Active Listening: Employees who feel valued, heard and seen are likely to communicate because they know that their words count. 

2. Building a Culture of Trust 

Trust is the pillar on which collaboration rests. It enhances team unity and strength and also empowers employees to take ownership of their roles and collaborate more effectively. Without trust, teamwork feels forced and unnatural, and innovation is hampered.  

Building Trust to Enhance Team’s Success 

• Encouraging autonomy while maintaining accountability: Allowing team members some level of autonomy that allows them to take ownership of their role, help to develop competence, trust in their abilities, and help other team members trust in their capacity to deliver on assigned tasks.  

• Recognizing contributions and celebrating wins: Recognizing and celebrating deserving employees or team members will encourage employees to perform better, increase productivity, and build trust, assuring employees that their inputs will not go unnoticed. 

• Providing constructive feedback: Constructive feedback – whether positive or negative depicts genuine interest, which can help build trust.   

• Do not micromanage Employees: Encouraging team members to take the lead and take ownership of tasks from start to finish implies a high level of faith in the team’s capabilities. 

The Role of Technology in Strengthening Team Collaboration 

Technology is changing how businesses collaborate. With the rise in remote and hybrid workplaces, digital tools play an essential role in keeping teams connected, engaged, and productive. 

1. Cloud-Based Collaboration 

Just like love knows no boundaries; modern collaboration tools are breaking traditional norms, eliminating geographical barriers, allowing teams to collaborate seamlessly, and ensuring the smooth running of projects regardless of location or time. These tools allow teams to work together from anywhere in the world.  

Whether in physical offices or remotely, below are some top collaboration tools: 

• File-sharing platforms such as OneDrive and Google Drive enable instant document access and edits. 

• Team Collaboration Tools such as Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace. 

• Project Management Tools like Asana and Trello help keep tasks organized and transparent. 

• PLUG by Descasio offers an all-in-one, no-code automation and workflow management solution tailored for seamless collaboration and integration. 

2. AI-Powered Productivity 

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) further simplified workflows. In the most basic form, AI means machines using algorithms and data to simulate human thoughts and execute tasks that typically require human intelligence. It is transforming the workplace, acting as the cupid that streamlines tasks and enhances teamwork.  

How Artificial Intelligence (AI) can Enhance Team Collaboration 

• Faster Decision-making: Through real-time data-driven insights and analysis, AI can enable teams to make fast and informed decisions. 

• Automating Repetitive Tasks: With AI, teams can automate repetitive tasks, thereby allowing them to focus on high-value-adding tasks. 

• Facilitating Information Sharing: AI can help teams identify the most relevant information and contributors within a team, thereby facilitating information sharing and collaboration. 

• Streamlining Communication in Real Time: AI tools can help foster team collaboration regardless of distance, language barrier or time zone. For instance, it has the capability to automatically summarise main messages in a discussion; it can translate languages, transcribe meetings, and so forth, ensuring all the team members are on the same page. 

“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs. 

Fostering a Collaborative Work Environment 

Building a collaborative work environment takes intentionality and choosing the right digital solution. Here are some tips that businesses can use to create a culture where collaboration flourishes: 

1. Create a Shared Vision & Goals 

When the goal is clear, and every team member understands the significance of their role towards meeting the overall goal, they work with a sense of purpose and alignment. As such, team leaders must clearly establish team goals and the impact of each role towards its overall achievement, in addition to fostering a sense of ownership and accountability. 

2. Prioritize Employee Well-being 

A happy team is a productive team! To foster collaboration among teams, businesses must ensure that team members feel professionally and personally supported. In other words, they prioritize the psychological safety of their employees. For instance, promote work-life balance, idea sharing, transparency and communication, mental health support, and employee equality and fair treatment. 

3. Give room for autonomy and creative freedom 

Exerting overly strict control or authoritative leadership on teams can make the work environment feel tense and make team members feel less secure and unable to express themselves. This way, creativity and innovation are stifled. On the contrary, team collaboration flourishes when the environment promotes creative freedom. 

4. Utilize the Right Collaboration Tools 

Investing in the right digital tool that promotes smoother workflows and better teamwork. But first, businesses must consider their needs.  

5. Recognize and reward team collaboration 

Whenever a team comes together and successfully achieves its goals without supervision, it is worthy of recognition. It could be as little as a shout-out, thumbs up, or a short encouraging message, but it serves as motivation for more collaborative efforts. 

Conclusion

Building strong relationships, whether in love or business, requires effort, trust, and communication. Companies that have successfully hacked this code excel by creating an environment that makes employees feel seen, valued, motivated, and stimulated to achieve more. 

As we celebrate love this Valentine’s Day, let’s also recognize and celebrate the impact of collaboration in the workplace.   

At Descasio, we believe that the future of work is built on seamless collaboration and innovative technology. Explore PLUG, our no-code automation platform, today and discover how your team can work smarter, faster, and more efficiently. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!