Collaboration is one of the most crucial skills for business owners to learn, but it’s also one of the most difficult to master. For your company to be successful, you must create opportunities for cross-team collaboration, encourage open communication and idea-sharing, and use collaboration tech, tools, and platforms that promote these efforts. But how do you get started? 

Create Opportunities for Cross-Team Collaboration

It’s essential that all members of your company feel comfortable reaching out to colleagues from other teams if they have an idea or want input on a project. Instead of encouraging employees to maintain their own silos, try introducing cross-functional brainstorming sessions where everyone is encouraged (and expected) to contribute. This helps break down communication barriers and encourages people across different areas to exchange ideas.

Choose the Right Collaboration Tech, Tools, and Platforms

If you’re creating an open environment where everyone is encouraged to discuss ideas, you need collaboration tech that allows for real-time communication across departments — and even time zones. The best collaboration platforms let employees share documents easily, track changes over time, and integrate with popular productivity apps, such as Slack, Google Docs, and Dropbox. You can also explore other apps, including Trello and Asana, for their built-in social features specifically for businesses.

There may be times when it's necessary to work with PDFs. Keep in mind that editing PDFs can be difficult and time-consuming. Luckily, conversion tools available online allow you to convert a PDF to Word, so you can work with ease. Just upload the file, start working, and save it as a PDF when finished.

Create a Culture of Open Communication and Idea Sharing

Establish a strong culture of communication, and encourage team members to voice their ideas, questions, concerns, and issues openly. Communication is key because you want everyone to feel comfortable talking about challenges they’re having or problems they’re facing with colleagues without fear of being judged or reprimanded. Regular meetings are one way of ensuring all team members have a chance to contribute and share ideas.

Reward Efforts Across Teams

Recognize and celebrate what people are doing outside their job descriptions. You may be surprised at how much impact an individual can have on a team. But if that person's efforts go unnoticed, they can feel undervalued. Regularly find new ways to recognize employees for helping each other out, whether it's a gift card or a small monetary reward.

Encourage Feedback

A culture of open communication and idea sharing is key for collaboration efforts. Once you’ve developed your company-wide communication plan, encourage feedback by making it a priority. Creating opportunities for constructive criticism also helps employees feel they have an active voice within your organization. However, don’t forget to listen to their opinions even informally.

Valuable Contributions

Everyone on your team can contribute valuable insights that make your business and its procedures more effective and efficient. That’s why it's critical to continue building on your efforts to improve collaboration within your company.

Join your local chamber of commerce for more tips on enhancing collaboration in your business.