By Moira Du
When you work with others and collaborate on a group project, being able to navigate that is important. Collaborating successfully is a key factor in the success of your project. With that being said, what is collaboration? How can you implement this in your workplace?
What is collaboration?
Collaboration is the ability to willingly cooperate and work together to achieve a common goal. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, it is the “act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve something”.
The ability to collaborate allows you to achieve something greater than what you could achieve individually.
How can you implement collaboration in your workplace?
If you’re a leader, you can promote collaboration in different ways. Here are a few ways you can do so:
- Encourage open communication.
Open communication is key to any relationship and any collaboration. You’re working towards the same goal but, some team members may have different ways of doing things which may end up bothering you. Setting some ground rules, creating borders, and making sure everyone clearly knows the steps you will take towards your goal is crucial.
- Be open to negotiating.
Not everything will go or be done your way. Be open to negotiating, to changing up how you do things, and to finding common ground. Don’t be too hard-headed. Instead, learn to compromise. Trust me, it will make everything much easier.
- Learn to take feedback.
Being able to take criticism is important. Just because someone says something about the way you work does not make them your enemy. Instead, take the feedback and reflect and learn from it.
The Takeaway
Collaboration is key to a successful workplace. Sometimes, two or more heads are better than one but, that doesn’t make it easier. You’ll need to deal with different personalities and navigate through conflicts. Being able to properly collaborate will make your life much easier.
