To be an effective leader, you not only need to communicate well, but you also need to collaborate well – downwards, sideways, and upwards to be successful. Even though you are a leader, you are still part of a team that needs to work together toward common goals, and sometimes that might mean getting your hands dirty.

Your people will also follow your lead, and if you are not a collaborative leader, then why should they be? Fostering teamwork and collaboration must start from the top. You set the tone with your behavior and collaboration is one critical aspect that enables high performance.

Collaboration is more important than ever before as people may require extra support around their workload due to the changing dynamics of our present times, plus it can help retain your top talent by ensuring they are not overloaded. The stakes are always high when it comes to employee engagement, so please do not ignore the power of collaboration.

The Benefits of Collaboration for Organizations

When organizations are made up of people who willingly and enthusiastically collaborate, great things happen:

1. Impacts Positive Outcomes — Encouraging your people to engage in open collaboration will help them open up and share, which enhances overall communication. As a result, employees will find themselves more motivated to work as a team and help achieve team goals.

2. Improves Flexibility & Boosts Innovation — With all the advances we have in technology, it can still be seen as a barrier when it comes to how we collaborate. Learn to lead people in a way that encourages them to use their devices and data as collaborative tools. Collaborative tools like Teams chat or Slack, for instance, allow people to share ideas on the fly, which can spark real-time innovation. 

3. Employees Build Their Skills — People who work closely in collaboration learn from each other and strengthen each other’s skill sets. This is critically important when it comes to cross-functional teams. Additionally, effective collaboration ensures new employees are acclimated faster into the fold.

4. Improves Employee Engagement — Communication and collaboration go hand in hand, therefore, if your team is not collaborating effectively, they may likely be disengaged for any number of reasons. This can be a challenge with so many people working remotely (another great reason for the technology that keeps us connected), but when you use your honed communication skills along with the right collaboration tools, people will be more motivated to work as a team.

5 Customers Are Happier — Delivering great customer service means having a highly collaborative teams behind the scenes. Those who collaborate well are far more able to determine quick solutions to customer problems, which is a win-win for all.

Collaboration, like any leadership skill, takes time and conscious effort, and anything you can do to encourage teamwork will go a long way in fostering stronger employee engagement.

Are You Comfortable Creating a Collaborative Organization?

What strategies have worked or not worked for you when it comes to creating a culture of collaboration in your organization? 

If you feel there is room for improvement, whether with a specific project or your overall plan for your team, I’d be happy to share my insights and best practices to help you get clear on your next steps.

Feel free to email me at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 1.855.871.3374.