Teamwork Matters: Make Collaboration a Good Tradition

Teamwork is not another popular word among entrepreneurs. It really helps companies achieve their goals. Do you think Steve Jobs could have built his own technological empire? And could Elon Musk have single-handedly launched Tesla into space? Of course not, behind all the achievements are great teams of people.

Let’s dive deeper into the topic of why companies value teams so much and encourage teamwork? Be sure to read this piece till the end — we’ll tell you HOW to foster it. Collabio is made of collaboration. ;)

Why Is Teamwork Beneficial?

1. Social engagement and happiness at work. People get more involved in their work activities, engaging in what feels like personal interest. Higher level of enjoyment in tasks boosts the quality of results. This makes people happier.
2. Team spirit and company culture. Being united means being fully dedicated to the company your team works for and the product or project.
3. Feeling valued and motivated. When team members constantly give positive feedback or useful advice to colleagues, they want to achieve more, as they feel that their actions have meaning.
4. Interaction between departments. Knowing how to work in a team gives thoughts on fruitful cooperation, not only within it, but between different units, too.
5. Productive collaboration. Two heads are better than one when it comes to brainstorming and creating great things, but you need to know how to communicate correctly. We shall share some links on this topic below.
6. Strengthening of skills and discovering new ones. We learn from those who surround us. In a team, every member has their own mindset, experience and expertise. Why not use it to enhance your own proficiency?
7. Sharing the load. Shared responsibilities and joint work reduces stress and prevents burnout!

How to Start Cooperating More?

Now that we know why to spend time on supporting teamwork, the questions are: ‘What if almost all of my team members are lone wolves? How to invite them to collaborate? How do we know they are working with real motivation or simply because we asked them? How to nurture this collaborative culture within the company?’

Here are the answers:

1. First, share interesting facts about cooperation with colleagues. You could lighten the mood with some jokes here. :)
   Here are just some examples:
   - According to Clear Company, well-aligned teams drive better results. In particular, 97% of employers believe that the lack of team alignment influences their overall success.
   - Zippia has found out that 86% of employees in leadership positions blame lack of collaboration as the top reason for workplace failures.
   - According to Deloitte, people who collaborate on the job and who have access to digital collaboration tools are up to 17% more satisfied with their job and workplace culture.
2. Show by example your willingness to help, share ideas, work together. People can be shy and when they see that someone is sharing thoughts and taking the initiative, they join the process. This could work for all colleagues, not just team leaders and teamwork can become the new norm in your workplace.
3. Give feedback more often. Before sharing feedback becomes a tradition for your team, you need to start it. Share your opinion of the work of others; give useful advice; encourage team members. Of course, try to keep your thoughts neat and polite, because negativity never leads to success. However, being too positive won’t help either. Try to stick to the facts and find more advice on how to exchange feedback in articles we have linked to below.
4. Measure results and motivate people with numbers. If you can clearly see how teamwork is beneficial to the results, measure it and share this data! When the difference is palpable, people have an incentive to keep it up.
5. Keep in touch for more than just work. A team is not only your project, it is real people. Everyone has interests, hobbies and huge life experiences. Everyone has something to share and discuss. Don’t ignore your relationships outside the office or Zoom. Meet more often in an informal setting or arrange teambuilding activities — it rallies people together and creates the opportunity for everyone to feel like an integral part of the team.

More Practical Tips on Teamwork

Want to discover more useful advice? The articles below share our recommendations based on our own experience. Check them out and start enjoying the best of your team.

· Tips on improving team efficiency

· Nurturing productivity of all team members at once

· Finding effective ways to motivate your team

· New ways of inspiring team creativity

· Setting effective remote collaboration

· Co-authoring documents with team mates privately

· Making every meeting efficient

· Preventing conflict situations and work in piece