You love having your own business, and you love the feeling of taking great care of your customers and their needs. However, do you wish improving collaboration among your employees was as easy and clear-cut as other aspects of being a business owner? Use these insights to help your workforce connect and tap deeper into their potential.
Communicate Effectively
When you communicate, do so effectively with positive body language. Maintain strong eye contact and keep your arms relaxed at your side. That way, your employees feel at ease about collaborating and opening up to you and their co-workers.
Create an Interactive Social Media Post
You likely have social media profiles for your company, so you may as well use them to boost collaboration. Post images or stories for your workforce to interact with and comment on.
When sharing images on social media, you may need to change their size to meet the platform’s image upload requirements. With an online tool, you upload your image, select the image type, resize the image online quickly, and download it.
Lead by Example
You cannot expect your team to give their all to collaborating if they don’t see you leading by example. Exemplify the level of cooperation you desire. Experts say companies should make it plain to employees that silly questions do not exist in your company. When workers feel like they have a voice and have the freedom to fill in gaps of knowledge, it becomes easy for them to open up and become more receptive.
Use Collaboration Tech
More of your workforce could work remotely. If so, use collaboration tech to help them feel connected no matter where they work. Aim for technology that mimics the look and feel of in-person meetings as much as possible, to preserve the sense of being in the same room.
While exploring your options for collaboration tech and tools, try not to go overboard. Today, companies may choose from project management tools, whiteboarding tools, communication tools, and more. Ask your employees which they prefer and need to work remotely at their full potential.
Foster an Environment of Personal Accountability
Consider implementing policies that encourage personal accountability. When employees take ownership of their tasks, it gives them a sense of responsibility not only for the task but also for its results. Imagine a team of employees focused on personal accountability working together on a project. When those employees feel like their voices and work matter, they cannot help but knock the ball out of the park.
Encourage a Sense of Trust
Employees often have a hard time collaborating when they feel they cannot trust their managers or company. Keep your workforce informed about company news and projects. That way, it becomes second nature for workers to trust and respect each other, which makes communication easier and more free-flowing.
Remember Your Managers
Do not leave your managers and others in similar leadership positions out of the loop. Guide your managers and provide them with the necessary resources and tools to meet their goals and feel more connected to you, your employees, and your company mission. Make it so your managers do not feel you micromanage or stifle them, which could block them from bringing their best to the table every day.
Fostering a collaborative culture in the workplace aligns your team at every level of your organization. Empower your employees and they’re sure to empower you.
