Today we are sharing our 5 top tips for collaborative working that can synchronise your team and bring out the best in their performance. After months of remote and distance working, we have had to become inventive in the way we communicate with our colleagues and, in some cases, our output has suffered for it. Now that we are all back together again, these tips may serve as a helpful reminder on how to work cohesively and get the most out of one another.
1. Educate staff on the importance of collaboration
If your employees do not understand the value of working together, then motivating them to build on these skills may prove challenging. Some of the benefits of good collaboration include:
- Improved productivity
- More diverse perspectives
- More creativity and innovation
- Agility and flexibility
- Better workplace wellbeing
- Work is completed more efficiently
- Bonding helps with staff retention
- Better stakeholder relationships
- Increased business development
2. Implement the best tools for cohesive working
Having the right tools, i.e. software, applications and optimised workspaces, makes working collaboratively much more achievable. Establish and roll-out a clear system of communication, either via a single channel or, more likely, a multi-channel that everyone understands. This can mean that certain areas of work may be discussed via direct message, whereas others might require an email trail for formality. Decide what works best for your organization’s needs, and your team’s needs. You could even involve them in determining the methods that are preferential.
3. Invite staff to contribute to wider business matters
By including your team in broader decision making, whether through survey and feedback or as part of a focus group, you reinforce that they are valued. Actively asking your staff to co-create and contribute to how the organisation operates can nurture colleague relationships and encourage bonding, leading to a happier, more productive work environment.
4. Make time for team building activities
Whether it’s payday drinks or a more formal retreat full of team tasks and scheduled activities, team building activities are invaluable. Not only does this allow your employees to communicate outside of the office walls and build better personal relationships with their colleagues but can even actively teach them to work more cohesively. Ideas include:
- Seasonal meals out together
- After work drinks
- Paintballing
- Raft building challenges
- Scavenger hunts
- Wayfinding challenges
- Escape rooms
- And many more
5. Praise and reward team successes
When your team gets it right, tell them so! Reward and recognition are proven motivators, and reward is not always financial. Even a simple acknowledgement of those successes will go a long way to encourage similar outputs in the future as well as ingraining positive work ethics.
Teamwork makes the dreamwork
We have seen time and again how working together, whether in work or outside of it, often has positive results.
Facilitate good communication opportunities, encourage your team to make use of them, and recognise when they do so. If you can foster a strong culture of cohesive working, you can expect better productivity from a team who feel valued and heard.
Canopi offer collaborative working products to the social sector, with offers currently on coworking office space and meeting room hire for your organisation. Get in touch to book your space today.