Collaboration is a vital part of workplace function. It can help improve efficiency, motivation, and successful outcomes, all the while creating a more positive and comfortable work environment. There are lots of new collaborative technology tools that can be utilised to improve staff teamwork and collaboration not only in meetings but all around the workplace.
Increased Productivity
Effective collaboration can increase staff productivity as it encourages everyone to bounce ideas off of each other and gain inspiration from their peers. Having multiple people working together on the same task can help increase the speed of output as well as seem more manageable and rewarding. Sharing the workload means that there is more attention to detail as every task has more inputs and sets of eyes on it, and this improves the overall quality of the work.
Creativity
Everyone approaches tasks differently and can bring a different set of skills to the table. Collaboration on projects can mean that you are getting a lot of different ideas and skill sets working on the same stream of work, and this can bring out some pretty creative thinking. As mentioned earlier, bouncing off of other co-workers means that you’re getting more ideas out in the open that you can then fine-tune into the best possible outcome. Bringing in people with different skill sets that may not necessarily be in that certain field or area means that people are learning new things as well as stepping outside their comfort zones in terms of work and creativity.
Team-Building
Collaboration improves team-building skills and creates a more friendly and comfortable work environment. If staff are used to scenarios where they need to speak up and share their ideas, then it’s more likely they will begin to feel comfortable around other team members. Collaboration forces people to communicate with one another, particularly staff members in different areas of your business. Creating a comfortable sharing space where everyone knows each other also means that staff are more likely to speak up if there are ever any issues or if they have any questions. If one of your team members is unsure about something, it’s better for them to feel comfortable asking about it rather than going ahead alone and doing it incorrectly.
Collaborative Technology
In terms of collaborative technology, there are plenty of different programs and software that can be utilised online to encourage more collaboration and engagement. Miro is a great website for brainstorming and getting creative with ideas as it allows all staff to access a spreadsheet where they can add ideas and images in a creative out-of-the-box way. Collaborative programs like Office 365 or Google Docs can be great for collaboration as they allow multiple people to have access at once and add comments and suggestions on other people’s work. Sometimes, however, the best way to encourage collaboration in the workplace is to organise a meeting where everyone is free to share their ideas with no judgement. Check out our blog post on how to keep staff engaged during meetings.
We’ve discussed before how technology has revolutionised the workplace, but it’s important to remember that workplace technology can only be used to its full potential if it is accessible and understandable for the people using it.
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