Top Reasons to Encourage Collaboration in the Workplace

Encourage Collaboration

Teams that work together effectively are not only good for business; they are good for an individual’s well-being and happiness at work. This collaboration of personalities and experiences bring heaps of rewards to the table and can see organizations benefit in impressive bottom-line figures. Effective teamwork also accounts for engaged staff, higher employee retention and an increase of talent across the board, giving a company the chance to develop effectively in a competitive marketplace. Managing this collaborative environment is also key to keeping it focused and ultimately the best place to be.

Take a look at some of the benefits of effective teamwork and how positive collaboration affects a workforce.

Improved flexibility

When you have a team that is working together, sudden change is easier to handle. This effective collaboration enables management to prioritize tasks and change directions with little interruption and still get the work done to a high standard. It is also important not to take this type of collaborative team working for granted, as keeping the team balanced and happy ensure success is carried forward on future projects.

High engagement

Having low engagement in the workplace is bad for business as your employees mainly perceive work as a means to an end and only want to get involved with business activity on the lowest level. Encouraging a collaborative environment helps to build the camaraderie between teams and gets people working together to achieve the same goals. Boosting morale and better working practices helps employees to see they are part of a business family rather than a tool to make money. To help improve your employees’ work ethic, you need to build morale.

Increased productivity

Have you ever sat in a meeting and thought, what did we actually achieve from that? This is a common thought for many teams and when you don’t have a collaborative environment, bouncing ideas off each other is a difficult task. Proactive teamwork helps to liven this time up and creates more engagement, as the rapport has already been established. Meeting and team working should be a time to share information and support each other during projects, which in turn leads to fewer meetings with a more productive outcome. 

Attract the best employees

It’s no surprise that people want to work in organizations where they feel valued and, in turn, can learn from people who respect them. Striving for a collaborative working environment not only provides all of this but makes people want to work in it. This type of team often attracts top candidates looking to join a well-oiled and respected working environment, which gives them the chance to show off their skills but also learn from the best.

Healthier and happier people 

Encouraging a values-based culture in the workplace is key to retaining good staff. This type of working environment is also said to help promote healthier and happier employees as positive interactions help boost morale and general well-being. Employees that feel valued are more likely to feel comfortable and contented in the environment, which has natural chemical boosting properties for the brain.

Retention rates improved

There’s nothing better for a company than to have loyal and happy staff that want to see a business succeed. For a collaborative environment, although this may not automatically happen, there is more likely to be people on a team that find their work fulfilling and rewarding, both mentally and financially. This style of teamwork also recognizes achievements and celebrates successes, so everyone is appreciated as part of the wider team.   

Accelerating business success

When you have a collaborative team, it is easier for workforces to bring projects to fruition in a fast and cost-effective way. Both teamwork and communication can help to speed up processes and tools like Time Clock Wizard ensure workflow is managed and monitored effectively to support business output. Not only do businesses have the ability to produce products and services faster, but their employees are also happy to help them do it too.

Fresh ideas

When you work in a stuffy environment with little innovation, it’s hard to feel inspired on a daily basis especially if your input is met with constant barriers. A collaborative workforce is great for inspiring people, and some of the best ideas have come from having a good debate and brainstorming session. This unique setting helps to develop an individuals thoughts and feelings about projects in a communicative and healthy way. Without these ideas and collaborations, a business may become stagnant which is ultimately bad for future success. 

Boosting individual productivity

Employees that feel valued and that have a good network of support and collaboration are most likely to be more productive in the workplace. Encouraging strong peer-to-peer relationships and effective teamwork helps to ensure an individual’s targets are met quickly and with a higher degree of accuracy.

External collaborations

It’s not just internal teams that benefit from a collaborative working environment; there are plenty of external factors to consider too. Investing the time to work better with customers, vendors and partners could give you a more fluid relationship, which in turn could better deals and feedback for improvement. Aligning the business needs with that of vendors and customers will help drive the business forward with less disruption.

The bottom line

For the majority of businesses, how processes and workforce affect the bottom line is an important step to monitor. Collaboration is said to improve profits as increased productivity, better working practices and higher retention rate encourages an effective and hardworking team environment. Building a culture based on an individual’s value and not just looking at them like a cog in a giant corporate wheel helps to bring them closer and feel an attachment to the business, thus creating a healthier bottom line in the future.

A collaborative workforce may sound simplistic and actually harder to achieve than first thought, but this type of working environment has been gaining traction, with some of the biggest companies in the world adopting and encouraging it. Something as simple as ‘thinking spaces’ and open offices could get you off to a good start for open-thinking and better communication.

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