When ideas flow freely at your company, you’ll reach even stronger solutions. This is the importance of collaboration between team members. Since everyone’s skills and experience are slightly different, each of your staff members brings a different set of thoughts and ideas to every project you do. By encouraging everyone to work together, your company can achieve great things. Here’s the top seven ways employers are accomplishing productive team collaboration.
Seven ways to help your employees work well together
Consider these top tips:
- Create an environment where employees can interact freely. The layout of an office space helps greatly with how easily your staff can interact. In addition to regular team meetings, it’s important to give your workers the space they can use to collaborate regularly with each other. Consider open floor plans or seating arrangements, an indoor atrium, an on-site workout facility, break rooms, a coffee galleys, etc.
- Be a good role model. Collaboration requires everyone to speak up, but also to listen and respect each other’s ideas, even when they don’t agree. Set a good example for your staff: offer suggestions during team meetings, but also listen with an open mind to everyone’s thoughts.
- Provide interaction with top business executives. An “us versus them” scenario between executives and workers can be alienating. Top company executives should be visible to workers. One way to do this is with regular meetings where the head of the company can give an update on big picture items and allow time for questions and answers.
- Encourage intra-company interaction for new employees. It’s uncomfortable to be the “new kid on the block.” Help your new staff members jump into a position by introducing them to all the members of their department. Also, provide a list of all employees in other departments they’ll need to meet and how they’ll likely be working together in the future. Provide introductions or give new staff the opportunity to schedule a meeting with these important contacts.
- Build a work “community.” A great company culture, one that is friendly and even family-like, makes employees more comfortable. This, in turn, will help make your staff more at ease to share their thoughts and ideas. Consider holiday gatherings, in-house clubs and committees, regular celebrations, etc.
- Reward groups, rather than individuals. Collaboration can be stifled when employees feel that great ideas are rewarded on an individual basis. If your team has worked together on a project, reward all with a team outing, for example. Or, when it’s time for employee reviews, praise great teamwork.
- Practice makes perfect. Collaboration with others is a learned skill. And like all great skills, it get better with practice. The more opportunities you give your employees to interact as a team, the better they’ll be at doing so.
Go team!
Your support and encouragement will ultimately help your employees work well together. Follow these winning practices for a collaborative company culture.
Planning to add to your staff?
If you’re looking to strengthen your team with more employees, Contemporary Staffing Solutions can help. We work with employers to place the right employees in the right positions. To learn more about how we can help you supplement your staff, contact Contemporary Staffing Solutions.