Working in teams allows employees to share ideas, communicate openly, brainstorm collectively, offer positivity, and generate accountability. Successful collaboration increases team performance, productivity, creativity, and responsibility in the workplace. It contributes to the success of a company and promotes healthy employee relationships. While collaboration can aid the success of a business overall, it can also hurt business if not handled carefully. Miscommunication, bad attitudes, lack of commitment, and more can depreciate the value and efficiency of collaboration in the workplace. Avoid these collaboration killers in your office:
Lack of Commitment to Team Decisions
When working in teams, you have to consider all viewpoints, thoughts, and opinions, or you could run into some issues. The decisions made as a whole should involve everyone, to avoid people changing their minds after the fact. Make sure everyone agrees on the decisions being made by verbally acknowledging and getting feedback from everyone in the group to ensure their commitment. Have everyone share any thoughts and concerns they may have, address them, and make sure you can get to a spot where everyone feels comfortable.
Close-minded Attitude
Working with multiple individuals who have different personalities, viewpoints, and opinions can be difficult. Some people may not understand that people disagree with their point-of-view and think they are right no matter what. Avoid this by forming an open communication strategy. Create a safe environment with no judgment, where everyone can share their opinions and explain it to the group openly. Having respect for each other and their viewpoints is crucial when collaborating with coworkers. A team with varied experiences, opinions, and backgrounds can come together to create a successful collaboration. Understanding that is a step to overcoming close-minded attitudes in team collaboration.
Not listening to Understand
When listening to other ideas, people can be quick to fire back with an opposing viewpoint without even understanding that person’s thought process. Listening to people speak without a formed opinion can help you understand the mindset and thought process behind the idea. Give your full attention and truly listen to each individual of the group speak before forming your opinion.
Lengthy Meetings
A dreaded lengthy meeting can become overkill quick. Instead, set a time limit, and if you finish beforehand, end the session early. Collaborate and communicate to accomplish tasks, figure out your next steps, and move on with your day. Sitting in a meeting where someone is talking at rather than to, often loses the attention of most people. Ensure the session is structured and involves everyone to make sure each person is happy with the decisions the team makes.
Lack of Trust
Sharing ideas to a group can be intimidating when unsure of the people around you. You may not trust people and fear getting shut down, so you keep things to yourself. Making sure that everyone feels comfortable being themselves is crucial to getting the most out of collaboration. Avoid missing out on ideas because someone is too afraid to share by being transparent and building trust within your team.
If you are a leader, break those barriers with your team by being open and honest about anything that comes your way. Be relatable by sharing your expertise and knowledge while sharing mistakes you have made or times you have failed. Doing so will put everyone at ease to brainstorm freely and comfortably. If you are a team member, show support to your fellow team members because you are all in the same position. Forming a trusting relationship among your group will strengthen the outcome of the end goal.
Collaborating with teammates can yield remarkable results, but there can be some downfalls too. Follow the tips in the blog to avoid collaboration killers and get the most out of your brainstorming sessions.