Collaboration is important for any organization for many reasons. Perhaps the most important reason is that you depend on each other to achieve goals. “Pretty busy … on your own” (from the Tempo-team commercial) has become a well-known saying for a reason. Together you can do more than alone. But doing things together is not always easy.
What steps can you take to improve collaboration?
Step 1: Examine the basic conditions
Determine whether the basic conditions for good cooperation are met. These ensure that the right conditions are created for good cooperation. These include:
- Clarity and agreement on the goals to be achieved. If people do not agree on goals, there is a good chance that they will work “past each other.
- Ample opportunities for growth and development. Continuous development is especially high on the minds of the younger generations. Especially among millennials, this is an important factor when choosing work. If these opportunities for development are not there, this is met with dissatisfied and unmotivated colleagues.
- Appropriate leadership. Does the chosen form of direction fit the group and its goals? In a team where creativity and new ideas play an important role, a hierarchical leader is probably not appropriate. It would interfere with the creative process.
- Duties and Responsibilities. If it is not clear who should do what, collaboration becomes very difficult.
- Resources. The right systems and tools are vital for efficient collaboration, for example to avoid duplication of effort.
Step 2: Conduct an organizational network analysis
An organizational network analysis maps the interpersonal relationships within a team. How to collaborate, share information and advice, and exchange ideas. This includes the average time commitment of team members. Research shows that Dutch workers (can) spend 43% of their time on their primary responsibilities (State of Work 2020, Workfront). Other activities include administrative tasks, interruptions for non-essential tasks, sending, answering and sorting mails and unnecessary appointments.
More than half of employees’ time is taken up with non-essential tasks.
Understanding average time commitment and interpersonal relationships, provides valuable tools for improving collaboration.
Step 3: Translate the insights into concrete areas for improvement
Once it is clear whether or not the basic conditions are being met and how there is real cooperation within the team, it is time to translate the insights into concrete areas for improvement. For example:
- Appointments are scheduled only when there is a clear agenda and purpose of the meeting. And only with those people needed to achieve the goal.
- Redistribute tasks and responsibilities to avoid duplication of effort.
- Create a direct link (e.g., a think tank) with other departments needed for product development. Influential individuals are the most appropriate (informal) leaders in this regard.
