10 Key Strategies for Promoting Workplace Collaboration

Struggling with achieving effective collaboration in the workplace? Use the following key strategies to start getting it right.

September 11, 2023
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Collaboration in the workplace isn't just a buzzword, it's a game-changer. Whether you're a small startup or a large corporation, fostering collaboration among your employees sets off a cascade of positive changes in the overall company outlook. 

It allows your company to embark on an innovative journey, which ultimately leads to a destination of high productivity level and maximum employee satisfaction. A collaborative workplace fosters the creation of a transparent, safe, and trustworthy environment for employees to thrive and work in. 

Like most good things, effective collaboration in the workplace requires an organization’s leadership to be intentional and well-coordinated, providing the necessary resources for a collaborative-driven culture to thrive. 

Hence, it’s essential that an organization is strategic in its efforts to promote collaboration.

In this article, we'll dive into 10 practical and proven strategies for effective team collaboration in the workplace that can turn your office into a thriving hub of teamwork and innovation.

What Are the 5 Strategies for Effective Collaboration?

Collaborating in the workplace is no simple task, as it has its peculiar challenges. Yet, it remains the bedrock of tremendous success in the workplace.  

The following strategies help lay the foundation of strong workplace collaboration. They include:

  1. Aligned Mission
  2. Getting Organized
  3. Goal Setting
  4. Setting Good Examples
  5. Incorporation of Collaboration and Software Tools
  1. Aligned Mission

Any organization that intends to promote collaboration amongst its workforce needs to unify all employees under a common purpose. They can achieve this by creating a concise and compelling mission statement for adoption across the organization’s different teams.

The essence is aligning individual team objectives with the company’s mission statement. It’s a way of giving employees a sense of belonging since they know that their work inputs add up to realizing and fulfilling the organization’s goals. The more committed employees are to the company’s mission, the greater their willingness to work together to achieve it. 

  1. Getting Organized

There’s no collaboration without coordination. It will be futile, as that lack of coordination hampers outcomes. 

There should be a well-laid-out approach to conducting collaboration in the workplace. Setting up a structured workflow that simplifies communication, task delegation, and project management is a great place to begin.

Having a structured workflow in place enables an organization to achieve efficiency. When roles, responsibilities, and task deadlines are well defined, there will be fewer misunderstandings that can hamper the execution of projects. 

Also, being organized allows judicious allocations of company resources and ensures better decision-making.

  1. Goal Setting

Setting your goals is key to successful collaboration in the workplace. There should be clearly defined goals for the different teams in an organization, all geared towards achieving the main company objective. 

These goals should be measurable to create a direction and build up employee motivation. For example, rather than the marketing team focusing on boosting product sales for the new financial year, opt for a more specific approach by giving the team a goal of achieving a 10% rise in product sales for the first financial quarter.

In general, goals help teams prioritize efforts that aid project completion. 

  1. Setting Good Examples

Good examples promote teamwork & collaboration in the workplace. When team leaders themselves actively participate in team activities and constantly exhibit collaborative behaviors, employees are more inclined to act collaboratively. 

By maintaining good communication practices, including active listening, respect for different perspectives, and openness to feedback, you build trust and respect within the team. These elements are crucial for maintaining a collaborative workspace. 

In addition, resolving conflicts promptly and professionally serves as an important lesson for employees about the significance of effective conflict resolution in sustaining healthy and innovative workplace collaborations.

  1. Incorporation of Collaboration and Software Tools

Incorporating collaboration and software tools has become necessary in today’s modern workplace. According to a recent report by McKinsey, where about 80% of businesses now use workplace collaboration technologies to enhance their processes, digital workplace collaboration is the ideal approach.

These workplace collaboration tools simplify the whole process by facilitating real-time communication, regular information sharing, active tracking of deadlines, prompt progress evaluation of projects, and feedback collection for expedited decision-making.

Given the increasing number of employees opting to work from home, investing in these productivity tools to drive effective workplace collaboration is smart, particularly when the goal is to avoid geographical challenges. 

Looking for a reliable workplace collaboration software, use Assembly!

How Do You Promote Workplace Collaboration?

Like with everything built to last, maintenance is essential. The same applies to a collaborative workspace. 

Continuous collaboration in the workplace requires that you incorporate effective collaboration methods into all aspects of an organization's workflow. 

Ten ways to achieve this include:

  1. Foster collaboration as a company value
  2. Promote open communication
  3. Create time for team building
  4. Reward successful team collaboration
  5. Be flexible
  6. Constantly reiterate company goals
  7. Present problems and solutions
  8. Give employees autonomy
  9. Focus on team members’ strengths
  10. Create a collaborative work environment
  1. Foster Collaboration as a Company Value

It’s a game changer when employees realize that they aren’t just pulling resources together for project completion but that collaboration is an integral part of the organization’s central operation. 

This single distinction allows employees to attach greater importance to combined action and engage more. Hence, to promote workplace collaboration, it’s essential to cultivate a company culture that emphasizes teamwork and mutual support among employees.

An organization that values collaboration gains a competitive advantage through innovation. 

Learn how to build a collaboration-driven culture in this informative video from Assembly. 

  1. Promote Open Communication

This is the recommended form of communication for effective workplace collaboration. In an environment where employees can freely express honest feedback, there would be continuous innovative ideas and relevant information flow.

Open communication encourages productive teamwork across an organization by enabling creative problem-solving and empowering employees to contribute actively to decision-making.

  1. Create Time for Team Building

Modern workplace collaboration finds roots in intentionality, including how you build and nurture teams within the organization. 

Team building is an active process that demands deliberate efforts. Therefore, allocating specific periods for activities that enhance team cohesiveness, reliance, and partnership is the way to go.

Team building activities allow employees to interact on a more personal level, develop good working relationships with one another, and share relevant experiences. Overall, these activities help boost employee morale and improve the organization’s productivity.

Assembly has a suite of team-building activities to promote collaboration in the workplace.

  1. Celebrate and Reward Successful Team Collaborations

Everyone loves recognition for doing an excellent job. No better way to sustain the momentum of collaboration in the workplace than to celebrate significant collaborative achievements.

Rewarding competent teamwork helps to reinforce the importance of working together, and acknowledging the individual efforts helps to achieve more aspired outcomes. It also fosters continuous improvement in the workplace, encouraging employees to explore more innovative options in problem-solving.

Assembly helps you set up team rewards with ease.

  1. Be Flexible

Organizations must learn to adapt if they are to function collaboratively. This means that team leaders must exhibit high flexibility in coordinating the team. 

This approach allows for more receptiveness toward new ideas and methods. Flexibility also promotes respect for diversity of backgrounds and expertise. Moreover, a willingness to compromise enables teams to refine their collaboration strategies in response to new developments and avoid any derailments.

  1. Constantly Reiterate Company Goals

More often than not, the high-ranking members of an organization are the only ones fully aware of the company’s short and long-term goals. This can be better. Collaboration in the workplace is best acknowledged when all employees, irrespective of hierarchy, are up to speed on the organization’s overall objectives.

Employees need to be constantly reminded of the company’s goals, instilling a sense of purpose in the workforce and fostering collective accountability toward obtaining projected results. Reiterating the company’s mission at team check-ins is a great place to begin.

  1. Present Problems and Ask for Solutions

The challenge of a team member is an issue for every member. So, it should be tackled collectively. 

Team members should be encouraged to share their input in solving the problem. This helps ensure efficient resolutions are arrived at within the shortest possible time.

  1. Give Employees Autonomy

There are instances where you let employees take initiative with your full support. This approach is a way of entrusting key responsibilities into the hands of employees in a bid to drive active engagement in collaborative efforts.

It’s also good to note that being proficient in a particular aspect of workflow doesn’t guarantee participation, so have team members who are skillful and possess the right drive and motivation to spearhead projects.

  1. Focus on Team Members’ Strength

When delegating tasks, knowing the strengths of individual team members helps you assign tasks accordingly. This builds confidence and helps teams function more efficiently, enhancing job satisfaction and allowing team members to feel valued for their unique contributions.

  1. Create a Collaborative Work Environment

You can create a collaborative atmosphere in a physical office by designing the workspace to promote interaction, communication, and teamwork. Explore the option of no physical barriers, shared spaces such as lounges, break rooms, and dedicated meeting rooms for brainstorming.

How to Improve Collaboration in the Workplace?

When you’ve succeeded in achieving effective workplace collaboration, it can only get better from then on with constant improvements.

Collaboration in the workplace can be improved by the following actions:

  1. Share Resources
  2. Foster Creativity
  3. Welcome Feedback
  1. Share Resources

This implies you disseminate relevant information and share collaboration tools and useful assets amongst employees. Resource sharing ensures efficient use of available assets by facilitating information exchange and preventing duplication of efforts. 

Conducting training workshops on effective communication and teamwork and equipping employees with collaboration skills is a good way of enhancing resource sharing.

  1. Foster Creativity

It’s the only way to avoid scarcity of fresh ideas in an organization. Make a conscious effort to create an environment that stimulates and supports insightful idea generation amongst employees.

Have time dedicated for employees to brainstorm together on a particular issue. Brainstorming taps into the diversity of a team, making the process of problem-solving more flexible and fulfilling.

It’s good practice to prepare employees for brainstorming sessions by intimating their project outlines and keywords beforehand.

  1. Welcome Feedback

In the quest to improve collaboration in the workplace, teams must always request and appreciate feedback. Openness to feedback fosters professional growth by helping employees identify areas for improvement and self-advancement. It enables prompt adaptation of collaboration strategies in the workplace.

Workplace Collaboration Boils Down to Being Strategic

Say goodbye to silos and welcome a workplace culture where collaboration drives your collective success.

How you approach a given task largely determines the outcome. This principle is also true for the concept of collaboration in the workplace; attaining effective workplace collaboration is no small feat.

Building your organization’s capability for collaboration requires sustained investments to build trust and foster a culture where open communication is practiced. Team leaders need to model cooperative workplace behaviors by clarifying assigned roles, task deadlines, decision-making, and project executions.

In summary, organizations can generate the required amount of expertise necessary to solve their peculiar business problems by correctly applying the right strategies to promote collaboration in the workplace. 

Assembly is a workplace collaboration tool that guarantees you a successful collaboration in the workplace. Book a free demo today!

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Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

Could find the answer you are looking for?

Please schedule time with an expert and we will help you to get all your questions answered