Why collaboration = success

It seems so cliché when you say “it takes a village.” It’s a phrase that we often say with a smile, as a parting comment; hopefully it’s also accompanied by a high five or a “good job” signaling the end of a successful project or a team win.

But what do we mean when we say “it takes a village”? Isn’t it just another way of saying we get more done when we collaborate?

I’m sure you see examples of this every day at your company. The product development team shadows the customer support team to hear product feedback to help pinpoint solutions. The accounting team shares with the customer support team how data they collect is used, helping everyone in the room feel a stronger sense of purpose. A coworker takes the time to each a colleague Excel skills to create efficiencies, which also builds connections and teamwork in the office.

I believe there are two types of people in this world—those who collaborate and those who don’t. In the age of social media and relationship-based business (e.g., “it’s all in who you know”), you would think we would be forced to be collaborators, or at least be more open to collaboration. But we all know someone in our operations or business dealings that isn’t very collaborative. 

It can take many different shapes: a person who is always taking full credit for team work, or is putting down the ideas of someone in their group, or who refuses to work as part of a team. In any form, this type of activity can be detrimental to a project, and create a negative atmosphere for your business.

When I looked up the definition of collaborator, I found the list of synonyms and antonyms very telling:

• Synonyms: colleague, co-worker, associate, assistant, teammate, partner
• Antonyms: antagonist, opponent, enemy

The list of synonyms are all people who can be key players in helping to accomplish a project, while the antonyms are people who would block, hinder, or derail a project.

So how do you encourage collaboration at your company? Below are a few questions you should ask to determine the current environment at your company:

• What are your employees’/coworkers’ work style?
• Do people often work together on projects? Do people feel comfortable asking for help or providing assistance even when the person may not be specifically tasked with that project?
• Is your office conducive for collaboration? Does everyone work in an office with the door shut or do you have an open floor plan and areas for impromptu collaboration? Is there some combination of the two?

Once you identify what the situation is at your company, you can take steps to encourage more collaboration. We would love to hear how collaboration works at your company. Let us know at info@quincycfo.com.