How Can You Improve Team Collaboration?
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan
Team collaboration is critical to the success of your business. When collaboration fails, your customers can end up paying the price. Missed deadlines, dropped messages and lost time are just some of the consequences that result when teams fail to collaborate.
On the other hand, when your team collaborates seamlessly, everyone benefits. Your team is more productive and they enjoy their work more, because there are fewer crises and repeated frustrations in their day-to-day. Customers are more likely to be satisfied because they get the products and services they expected, the first time and every time. Business profits rise because you’re not spending resources on do-overs and work-arounds.
Collaborations Is a Skill and a Value
Every business can benefit from improved collaboration, but it takes ongoing training, practice and patience. Collaboration is not just a skill to learn; it’s a value that everyone from the top down in your organization must share. Here are some ways to instill a culture of collaboration in your business.
Active Listening
Set clear expectations that everyone should be fully present in team meetings. Ensure each person has a designated opportunity to speak to be inclusive and reduce interruptions.
Schedule Daily Huddles
At the start of the day, bring your team together for a few minutes to align on the latest developments.
Reduce Random, Abstract and Indirect Communications
Keep team communications consistent and frequent so everyone knows where to look for information. Avoid lengthy email threads that can bury important information. Depending on the size of your team and the nature of your work, your team may benefit from a collaboration tool like Slack.
Clearly Identify Hand-offs
One area where collaboration is most likely to fall apart is the hand-off – from one team member to another, from one department to another, or from your company to a subcontractor or vendor. Identify roles and responsibilities for each step of the process to reduce errors.
Get Comfortable with Feedback
Every team member should develop the ability to give and accept feedback.
Incorporate a debrief into team meetings that allows everyone to express what’s working and what’s not working. Establish next steps to resolve things that are not working well.
Read the Room
As the business owner, it’s up to you to look for signals and cues that your team needs a re-set. Don’t wait until problems become overwhelming to address them with the team.
I can work with you to improve your team’s collaboration and drive increased profits. Contact me today to learn more.
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:
