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Benefits & Importance of Team Collaboration in the Workplace

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Even though many companies have migrated to a remote or hybrid office setting throughout the past few years, it is clear that team collaboration in the office is critical. There is no question that better communication and working together in teams makes businesses more productive and efficient, so more companies should stick to an office setting to see the benefits of it. Let’s take a look at why team collaboration in the office is important.

Efficiency

In order to be efficient, teams must work together well. Distributing work evenly and making sure a task doesn’t get missed or isn’t completed twice can save time and prevent headaches. At first, it may take some time to get used to working with a new group of people, but after a while teams get to know each other and are able to work more quickly and successfully than they would individually. Starting and completing a project takes much less time if there is efficient collaboration. Working together towards a common goal also may reduce burnout, which is beneficial because burnout often leads to inefficiency and is a huge problem in today’s workforce.

Working virtually with other people also works better if we’ve already met them. Working remotely with strangers can absolutely be awkward and inefficient, so working in the office with a group can also improve communication and efficiency when working from home or another location.

Accountability and Competition

Working together also gives teams a sense of accountability. If one individual doesn’t contribute his or her part to a team, the rest of the team may not succeed. Therefore, teams who work together are more motivated to be successful both individually and as a group. Nobody wants to be the “bad” team member that causes the team to fail, so everyone is more inclined to do their part in every project.

Working as a team also presents the opportunity to compete with other teams and other companies. We are all more motivated to achieve success if there is some sort of incentive involved, so team collaborations can open the door for these sorts of competitions. Bringing skills together for the same purpose can help businesses be more successful than their competitors.

Additionally, while team collaboration increases individual accountability, it also may lead to teams being more comfortable taking risks even if they end up making mistakes.

Learning

Team collaboration is great because team members can learn from one another. We’ve all succeeded and failed to some extent at some point in our careers, and we can pass on what we’ve learned from our experiences to our teams. Teams can also learn new skills and technologies from one another, and the larger the team, the larger the set of skills and knowledge. More team members also mean more experience overall, which can be utilized to decide the best course of action for any task.

Learning from other team members also increases individual growth and helps each team member discover new concepts and solutions in their field that they can then use later on in their career.

Solving Problems

Of course, using past experiences can help avoid issues, but teams often run into problems that they need to figure out solutions to. Collaborating more will create additional ideas, and the chances of figuring out solutions together are normally higher than problem solving alone. Team members are able to point out pros and cons of certain approaches and are able to effectively come up with the best one.

Overcoming issues by ourselves can be very time-consuming, but teamwork can lead to a quicker solution, therefore allowing us to get back to productive work. Collaboration leads to higher productivity, as everyone is given a set of tasks to complete based on their skills and experiences that will come together to solve the problems at hand.

Humans are also more creative and comfortable around people they know, so team members who have already built relationships in the office are more likely to provide their opinions and ideas instead of staying quiet. We are also more unlikely to ask “dumb questions” when we are with strangers compared to when we are with people we trust. We hear about “innovation” all the time, but innovative discoveries and developments are normally created by more than just one person; instead, a team works together to solve problems and come up with something stellar.

Fun and Happiness 

Most people don’t consider work a “fun” or a “hobby,” but it doesn’t have to be miserable. Working together builds camaraderie and friendships, so team members really get to know one another. Events like office parties with games and food can build a team even stronger while having some fun. Countless studies have shown that happier employees are more productive than unhappy ones, so the most successful companies always take measures to build teams and make sure employees are happy.

Interdepartmental Communications

Collaborating in the office is also critical because it gets team members from various departments to communicate effectively, too. For example, a sales team can consult with other groups such as the legal department or human resources for a specific task if needed. Working across various departments may also open up networking opportunities and possible transfers for some employees who feel a different department would be a better fit for them. Overall, office collaboration opens up many lines of communication that wouldn’t otherwise be available, and there is plenty of proof that effective communication leads to better business results.

Builds Company Culture

Companies that don’t have clear values and goals have a harder time succeeding, as team members may not feel valued or feel like the values of their company are lackluster. Team building can build trust and reduce the cliche “toxicity” in the workplace environment. The environment of a business is critical to employees’ experience, so collaboration is crucial for maintaining a positive company culture.

Ultimately, while businesses can be successful working remotely, there’s still nothing that can match the experiences found working as a team in an office setting.

 

Image Credit: 14995841 / Pixabay