Ways to improve collaboration within small teams

Team collaboration is the cornerstone of any successful business. Collaborative workplaces see increased levels of trust, a more engaged workforce, and improved performance as?they feel motivated towards a common goal.

Establishing a collaborative team environment is a complex task that requires a focused and deliberate approach to instilling cooperative principles throughout your organization's culture. In this article, we will explore several tactics that can provide you with a head start in managing your support team for collaboration.

Communicate your expectation for collaboration:

If your team doesn't know that you want them to work together, you can't expect them to do so.?From the start, set your expectation for collaboration as a minimum standard. It should be part of your onboarding process so that potential recruits know you?prioritise?teamwork.?Employees' job descriptions should include details about their own individual roles, as well as roles they're expected to carry out collaboratively. By differentiating these, you will be setting clear boundaries between what they should be taking personal responsibility for, and what they need to work on collectively.

Open and Transparent communication:

Good team collaboration relies on open and truthful communication. The more people feel they can contribute, the more ideas can be shared, the more productive the team will become.?However, for the more introverted team members, this part of the process might not come naturally.

If you create a psychologically-safe working environment in which team members feel safe from judgment, they are more likely to speak openly and contribute their ideas freely. The safer the environment for communication, the more collaborative that space will become.

Foster a positive team culture:?

Create a positive team culture where everyone feels valued and respected. This can be done by recognising and celebrating team successes, encouraging feedback, and promoting a collaborative environment.

Define roles and responsibilities:?

Make sure that everyone on the team knows what their role is and what they are responsible for. This can help to avoid misunderstandings and confusion, and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal. Morning huddles held at the same time each day can help to foster the idea that everyday team members are working towards something specific together. Even better, you can take a step back and let your team define their own daily goals.

Invest in collaboration tools:?

Creating a digital workplace is the most practical thing you can do to ensure long-term collaboration among your team. You don't have to go all-out right away, and your spend can be modest at first. The trick is to try different tools and see what works best for your team. There are many tools available that can help teams collaborate more effectively, such as project management software, shared calendars, and online collaboration tools.

Team Collaboration Tools:

Loom

Google Drive

ClickUp

Teamwork

Dropbox

Hightail

Slack

Zoom?

Outlook        

Encourage creativity and innovation:?

Encourage team members to share their ideas and think outside the box. This can help to generate new ideas and solutions, and foster a culture of innovation. Pre informed brainstorming sessions can be a great way of opening up your team to creative thinking. An environment in which they can put forward and challenge ideas will help employees feel like they have a stake in the company's mission

Provide opportunities for training and development:?

Provide team members with opportunities for training and development to help them improve their skills and stay up-to-date with new technologies and trends.

Share knowledge, insights, and resources:

They say that knowledge is power, and when it's shared among your team, it can create a sense of empowerment that enables everyone to contribute equally. To facilitate this, you can create both physical and virtual spaces where your team members can openly share their insights, discuss their failures, and provide constructive feedback to one another.

Lead by example:

To ensure successful collaboration within your team, it's not enough to just strategise - you must also exhibit collaborative behaviour or yourself. As a leader, it's essential to demonstrate cooperation in all your actions and interactions with your employees.

A great starting point is to have regular one-to-one meetings with each team member, which shows that you are open to dialogue and willing to listen to their ideas and concerns.

Your approach to handling requests and making promises also plays a crucial role in fostering collaboration. When an employee comes to you seeking support, it's important to honor their request and only make promises that you can keep. By consistently demonstrating your willingness to support your team and keeping your promises, you can build trust within your team. This trust will then cascade throughout the team, leading to increased productivity and success.

Celebrate and reward successful teamwork

How you measure the success of your team will send out signals about what kind of company you are. If you reward effective teamwork and successful collaboration then you are communicating the values that underpin your business. When you design your employee appraisal metrics, focus on team collaboration as well as individual successes. Make it clear that your employees' team efforts will be noted and collaborative successes rewarded.

“None of us is as smart as all of us.

 Ken Blanchard”