What are the skills and competencies that you look for in a collaborative team member?

1 Why teamwork and collaboration matter

Teamwork and collaboration are not the same thing, but they are closely related. Teamwork is the ability to work effectively with others towards a common goal, while collaboration is the process of sharing ideas, resources, and feedback to create something new or improve something existing. Both are crucial for employee engagement, because they foster a sense of belonging, purpose, and contribution. When employees feel that they are part of a team that values their input and supports their growth, they are more likely to be motivated, productive, and loyal.

3 How to maintain a collaborative team

Maintaining a collaborative team requires ongoing effort and attention. You need to monitor your team's performance, engagement, and satisfaction, and address any issues or conflicts that arise. You also need to foster a culture of trust, respect, and openness, where team members feel comfortable to share their opinions, ideas, and feedback, and to ask for help when needed. Additionally, you need to encourage your team to learn from each other, to celebrate their achievements, and to have fun together. This can be done through various activities, such as team-building exercises, peer mentoring, social events, and recognition programs.

4 How to collaborate in a remote or hybrid setting

Collaborating in a remote or hybrid setting can be difficult due to communication barriers, isolation, and lack of visibility. However, with the right strategies and tools, these obstacles can be overcome and a collaborative team can be created. To ensure successful remote or hybrid collaboration, it is important to use a variety of communication channels, such as video calls, chat, email, and phone, and to establish a regular communication rhythm. Additionally, collaborative platforms, such as Google Docs, Trello, or Slack, should be used to share information, documents, and feedback, and to track progress and deadlines. Furthermore, a virtual team space should be created, such as a shared folder, a wiki, or a blog, where team members can access and update relevant information, resources, and best practices. It is also important to set clear and realistic expectations, goals, and deadlines, and to provide feedback, recognition, and support to team members. Finally, team members should be encouraged to interact and socialize with each other, and to build rapport and trust. This can be done through informal chats, virtual coffee breaks, online games, or virtual happy hours.

5 How to measure and improve your team's collaboration

Measuring and improving your team's collaboration is an ongoing process that requires feedback, data, and action. To assess and enhance collaboration, you can use surveys and polls to collect feedback from team members on communication, satisfaction, challenges, and suggestions. Metrics and analytics can be used to track and evaluate performance, productivity, and engagement. Action plans and experiments can be created based on the feedback and data collected, such as SMART goals, OKRs, or A/B testing, to define and test your plans. Tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms, Google Analytics, HubSpot, and Asana can be used to facilitate this process.