With a few notable exceptions, more gets done when people work together. Except for the control freaks among us (and we all know at least one), we all know that collaboration can boost productivity. If we didn’t know it, consultants tell us all the time, using phrases like ‘teams in harmony,’ ‘working on internal synergies’, etc. All that jargon-y mumbo jumbo.
So, we know it. Consultants know it. Even the control freaks know it despite being possibly uncomfortable with it. So why is collaboration often such hard work, or so difficult to get right? Well, there are a few common obstacles you’ll find in all sorts of workplaces.
Organising for Collaborative Success
Collaboration involves flexibility and open mindedness but isn’t a free-for-all. It needs guidelines, established goals and processes in place to ensure a steady platform for all that brainstorming and those proofs of concept. After all, teams – the really productive ones – are made up of a range of disciplines and specialties. Each has their own documentation, tools, and ways of working. Planning and a clear but robust process helps ensure that resources are all in place and that this diverse functionality can better pull together when needed. A few simple things which can help right away:
- Regularly scheduled sessions: Put it in the calendar, block that time out and bring snacks.
- Centralised resources: Depending on the topic and nature of the business, this could be offline or online but either way a central ‘vault’ of documents, notes, and assets along with an agreed-upon taxonomy and naming convention. That keeps everyone on the same page – and the same version of that page.
- Keep team members informed: Regular updates are critical, especially with distributed teams. No one can collaborate effectively if they feel left out.
Managing Time: Make Room for Collaboration Amid Busy Schedules
This is probably both true and not true at the same time. People genuinely are busy. At the same time, people are often kinda crap at managing their own time. This can be addressed in a number of ways
- First, by a bit more organised around the idea of collaboration as discussed above.
- Second, by having a company culture that supports and encourages collaboration.
If those two things are in place – most people will find the time. Speaking of which …
Cultivating a Collaborative Company Culture
What happens if your company isn’t (in reality) supportive of the idea; they talk the talk but don’t walk the walk? Well, that makes collaboration pretty difficult (and could become pretty toxic pretty quickly but workplace toxicity is another topic for another day).
- A company culture that is supportive of collaboration allows a certain amount of decentralised decision-making. Within established guidelines, teams should have the autonomy to move quickly and bring the full weight of their expertise to bear on the issue at hand. Nothing gets people engaged and keeps them engaged more than knowing they are making a real impact.
- Another sign that your company culture really is interested in workplace collaboration is evident in the make-up of the collaborative teams themselves. They will be made up of people from different specialties and/or departments. Organisational silos produce siloed thinking, and no one ever changed anything by doing things the same way they’ve always been done. No one is saying that IT and HR have to become best friends. But there are lots of ways both departments can help each other out and make things easier on themselves at the same time.
Is collaboration a challenge or a triumph in your workplace? What do you think the big contributors are to that struggle or success?