Collaboration within a company is necessary to achieve common goals. However, this can only occur where there is true teamwork and a certain level of commitment to each other and to the business as a whole. So if you are keen on building the right bridges within your company, here is how you can use collaboration as a tool to get you there, courtesy of Copper Quail Consulting.
Encourage Open Communication
When there is an atmosphere of open communication within a business, employees are more likely to contribute ideas freely without the fear of their ideas or opinions being taken the wrong way. Moreover, when employees feel that their opinions matter, they tend to feel like they are valued contributors to the team and are often more productive as a result.
Get Everybody Tech-Savvy
The importance of keeping up to date with technology and the accessibility thereof is vital to a large proportion of the workforce nowadays, especially if their work is done online. Therefore, getting everyone on board when it comes to technological developments (or at least providing them with the tools to advance their technical know-how) is essential to do if the company is to progress without anyone feeling as if they are being left behind. And nowhere is keeping up to date on technology more crucial than the area of marketing. For instance, why spend a fortune on a massive ad campaign when you can save money and reach a larger audience via social media simply by using an infographic template?
Encourage Authentic Connections
Certainly, relationship building should be authentic enough that a real connection can be established between team members. This is necessary if people from all backgrounds and walks of life are ever to see eye to eye, especially where differences in language and culture abound and there are plenty of opportunities for actions to be misconstrued. Therefore, entrepreneurs should encourage authentic connections between employees as much as possible to promote a harmonious workplace.
Create Cross-Functional Opportunities for Team Collaboration
While it might make more sense to get the entire marketing team together to establish a company’s marketing goals, it may make even better sense to get the sales and the IT department involved for example to see where digital marketing strategies could be enhanced through software updates, for example. Or you might need to increase your sales team or upskill them in the appropriate areas, so they can reach the company’s sales objectives, especially if the marketing objectives are usually intertwined with the sales projections, as is usually the case.
Make it a Point to Reward Hard Work
Rewarding employees when they have put in the work to achieve the business’s objectives is essential if you are to retain the best of the best talent, as well as to ensure that employees feel recognized and valued for their effort. Furthermore, as far as collaboration goes, giving credit where credit is due is a great way to boost team morale and can motivate employees to give of their best even when there are challenges to overcome.
Collaborative Tools You Should Be Aware Of
With remote work really cementing its place in the workplace today, there are a plethora of collaborative tools that entrepreneurs can utilize to promote teamwork. Moreover, remote and in-office companies alike are using many of the same tools to keep everyone in the loop. Furthermore, the culture of the workplace is changing too, with the increasing need for more flexibility and a better work-life balance. This is where video conferencing, cloud file-sharing of documents, and project management tools can come in handy to accommodate the needs of an ever-evolving changing workforce.
In summary, collaboration is going to be something that every business should attempt to do on a daily basis. Because, while it may seem like a minor, inconsequential step in the grand scheme of things, it has the potential to fast track the growth of your business and as such should be considered with just as much care as you would any other major business consideration.
Copper Quail Consulting can help you increase vitality in your workplace by improving the employee experience through HR and wellness offerings. Call 602-512-5849 to get started.
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