Gel the Team Together: 5 Tips to Create Collaborative Culture

It is no secret that active and effective collaboration is the key to build a high-performing team. However, this seemingly simple principal is often easier said than done. Constructing a cohesive team that can work together in harmony is not an easy feat. For example, your employee A might be excellent in carrying out an individual project, but when he is teamed up with another high-achiever employee B, it turns out that they fail to be on the same boat and result is not what you expected.

What should you do, then?

When it comes to team collaboration, the strategy is not always about gathering your brightest talents into one group. At some cases, someone can work their best only when they work alone. However, when they are asked to act as a team with others, they cannot perform well. Or in the contrary, there are also other kind of people who deliver mediocre works on individual project, but can give outstanding performance when they are involved in a group project.

A team consists of several people with different traits and interests. Given that everyone has their own personality, it is inevitable when one personality might clash with the other. Therefore, open communication is among the most important skills that should be fostered within a team.

If you want to build and sustain a high-performing team, learn from the following 5 tips to cultivate a collaborative environment in your workplace:

1.  Clarify the goals and expectations

Before assigning a team on particular project, you should make sure that everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities. Setting measurable goals with a solid timeline will not only help employees keep on the right track, but also see how they can progress as a team. Without clear team arrangement plan, there will be misunderstanding about each other’s responsibilities.

2.  Encourage open communication

Open communication is the heart of every teamwork. Without clear communication, misunderstandings are prone to happen. The conventional top-down communication or formal meeting are no longer enough to accommodate team’s urgency to interact with each other. The world is changing at a faster rate than ever, so you have to open up with newer and innovative methods of communication.

3.  Foster creativity

Nurture a culture where everyone feels free to express their ideas, give feedbacks to other, and receive inputs from their coworkers as well. Foster creativity within the team by encouraging them to always think outside the box. Most importantly, when someone is uttering different opinions or questions, the other team members should respect the perspectives and not put judgmental framework.

4.  Value individual perspectives

Each person within the team possess unique and distinctive skills, experience, and ideas. Rather than seeing this a great divider, leaders should leverage this diversity to empower and enrich the team’s perspectives. Discover how an employee can contribute actively to the team by identifying their key strength and find out the best way to accommodate them.

5.  Establish clear rules

Establish a clear ground round and take sure that everyone acknowledges it. When a conflict arises within the team or they are unable to find an agreement toward certain issues, you should appoint someone who is responsible to clear off the mess and report the problem.

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