How to Encourage Collaboration at Work
Collaboration does not happen because a company says it values teamwork. It happens when goals, incentives and habits make helping each other the easy choice.
To encourage collaboration at work, give teams shared goals, reward team results and helping behavior, create regular chances to work across groups, make information easy to find, clarify who decides what, celebrate examples of collaboration and have leaders model it by working openly with other departments.
Connection drives collaboration. Gallup found only about one in four employees feel their opinions count at work. People collaborate more when they feel heard.
If people are measured only on individual results, do not be surprised when they work alone.
Seven ways to encourage collaboration
- Shared goals. Across people and teams.
- Reward helping. Not only individual wins.
- Cross-team time. Projects and huddles.
- Open information. Easy to find.
- Clear decision rights. Who decides what.
- Celebrate examples. Name them publicly.
- Leaders model it. Work openly together.
Align goals and rewards
When two teams share a goal and are recognized for reaching it together, collaboration follows. Misaligned incentives quietly kill it.
Make information easy to find
People cannot collaborate on what they cannot see. Shared documents and regular updates remove friction.
Clarify who decides
Collaboration slows when everyone has to agree on everything. Be clear on who gives input and who makes the call.
Celebrate collaboration
Publicly thank people who helped another team succeed. What gets recognized gets repeated. See How to Celebrate Team Wins.
Building strong teams is the focus of Your Team Is Capable of More.
Encourage collaboration with shared goals, rewards for helping, cross-team time, open information, clear decision rights, public recognition of collaboration and leaders who model it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you encourage collaboration at work?
What prevents collaboration?
How do leaders build collaboration?
Is collaboration always good?
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