Change your workplace motto from “ego” to “we go”

What exactly is workplace collaboration?

Although workplace collaboration is often mistaken for good, old “teamwork”, there is a subtle difference.

Whereas teamwork is often just a physical joining of two people or a group to accomplish a task, collaboration in the workplace is much more. When two or more people or groups of people change their work motto from “ego” to “we go” and start sharing ideas and tasks to accomplish a common goal, they are collaborating. The changes and advancements in technology such as high speed Internet, web-based programs, file sharing, email and video-conferencing have made collaboration not only a higher level of teamwork but also a more productive way of getting things done.

The benefits of workplace collaboration are manifold:

Employees benefit

When there is collaboration and people are able to share and explain their ideas in a “safe” environment and also receive uplifting feedback, their self-awareness is heightened and they start to realise their own strengths and weaknesses and those of others. Employees who know their strengths and weaknesses are much better at asking for help and offering it when needed. Employees also benefit when they see how others think, negotiate and operate. They are able to pick up, utilise and take back to their own departments, divisions, teams, etc new skills and knowledge gleaned from working together to attain a certain outcome. They also gain a better understanding of how the company operates at a higher level and not just their own individual section.

Employees learn to function as a cohesive unit

Collaboration helps employees whose views on any particular organisational challenge are framed from a different set of knowledge and experiences to listen, learn and work together. Collaboration helps to build trust among employees; they learn to rely on each other and to function as a more cohesive unit.

Fresh thinking stimulates innovation and new services

Collaboration brings together different types of individuals, specialists and departments. Treating everyone as equals despite their titles or how senior their position in the company is stimulates new ideas, thought processes and approaches. Collaboration allows employees to experiment, even if the experiment does not succeed at first. Fresh, new ideas are the driving force that encourages companies to change and develop and institute new services and goods.

Problems are solved faster

What may take one person three months to solve on their own may only take a few hours to solve in a collaborative workplace. When departments collaborate, they are able to utilise and combine the strengths and skills of the entire employee pool and to come up with ideas and solutions much faster and in a more innovative way. Actions and tasks to solve a problem can also be distributed more evenly and efficiently when multiple individuals and departments are involved.

Far reaching benefits

Collaboration has far-reaching benefits for companies. The employees are more self-aware, aligned, role focused and able to stimulate fresh thinking. Innovation is encouraged and re-energised, lifting the company to new heights.

 

Sources

Buist, W. 2015. The unexpected business benefits of collaboration. Retrieved from: https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/opinion/unexpected-business-benefits-collaboration-0
What Is collaboration in the workplace: definition, benefits and examples. Retrieved from: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-collaboration-in-the-workplace-definition-benefits-examples.html