How do you motivate and inspire others in a collaborative work setting?
Collaboration is a key skill for any professional who wants to achieve more with their team, whether it's in the office, online, or a hybrid setting. But collaboration is not just about sharing tasks and resources, it's also about motivating and inspiring others to work together towards a common goal. How do you do that? Here are some tips to help you foster a collaborative work culture that brings out the best in everyone.
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Alyssa NolteHelping you Decode the Customer | Unleashing Potential in Sales & Customer Experience | CEO of TruVue | Speaker &…
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Ben TeohSenior Adoption and Change Manager @ Generation-e | Enabling Digital Transformation
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Jacquelyn Gabel, Ph.DDoctor of Philosophy in I/O Psychology- PhD at Grand Canyon University
Communication is the foundation of any successful collaboration. You need to communicate your expectations, feedback, progress, challenges, and ideas clearly and respectfully to your team members. Use the appropriate channels and tools, such as email, chat, video calls, or project management software, to keep everyone informed and engaged. Avoid jargon, slang, or vague language that might cause confusion or misunderstanding. Listen actively and empathetically to what others have to say, and acknowledge their contributions and concerns.
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When it comes to motivating and inspiring others in a collaborative work environment, I firmly believe in the power of enchantment and attraction. To foster a thriving team, it is vital to captivate individuals with your company's purpose and use it as a starting point for building a cohesive vision. Having team members who genuinely love what you do, rather than those solely driven by financial rewards, can make all the difference in creating a truly fulfilling work environment.
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Agree on the tools you're going to use and how you're going to use them. Just about every project I've been on will use the same tool (e.g. Teams chat, email, Planner) differently - assuming everyone uses it the same just leads to frustration. Put in the time to be clear about how you're going to work together and what goes where.
Collaboration works best when everyone has a clear and shared vision of what they are working towards and why. Set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, and communicate them to your team. Break down larger goals into smaller milestones and assign roles and responsibilities accordingly. Track and monitor your progress and adjust your plans as needed. Celebrate your achievements, big and small, and recognize the efforts and contributions of your team members. This will boost their morale, confidence, and motivation.
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The aim here is to get alignment from people. Don't spend too much time trying to force your work into a framework - whether it's SMART goals, OKRs, or whatever is the flavour of the month, make sure everyone knows - What are you trying to achieve? - What does success look like? - What do I need to do to support it?
Collaboration is also an opportunity to unleash your team's creativity and innovation. Encourage your team members to share their ideas, opinions, insights, and suggestions, and create a safe and supportive environment where they can do so without fear of judgment or criticism. Invite feedback and constructive criticism from others, and be open to different perspectives and approaches. Experiment with new methods, tools, or strategies, and learn from your failures and successes. Challenge yourself and your team to think outside the box and find new ways to solve problems or improve processes.
Creating a successful team requires trust and rapport among members. Establishing trust involves being reliable, competent, and accountable, while building rapport is about forming a positive and friendly relationship based on mutual respect, understanding, and support. To do this, be honest and transparent in your words and actions, show interest in your team members as individuals, offer and ask for help when needed, respect diversity, avoid gossip or conflict, and resolve any issues or disagreements respectfully. By following these steps, you can create a strong and unified team.
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Visable accountablity will go along way. Say what you do not know, admit to how the approach previously taken did not work, acknowledge your mistakes or lessons learned to the team. Demonstrating a culture being open, honest, and even humble will facilitation a stong foundation for trust and rapport.
Collaboration can be an enjoyable experience if you make it so. To inject some humor, fun, and excitement into your collaborative work, try organizing team-building activities, games, or social events to foster camaraderie and connection. Share your personal stories, hobbies, interests, or passions with your team members and learn about theirs. Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or other special occasions with your team and express gratitude, appreciation, and praise for your team members regularly. Lastly, having a positive attitude, a growth mindset, and a sense of humor can help motivate and inspire others in a collaborative work setting to achieve more together than you could alone.
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To inspire collaboration, infuse joy and respect into the process. Create moments for team-building and personal story-sharing, fostering deeper connections. Celebrate individual milestones to make everyone feel valued. Maintain positivity, using humor and a growth mindset to navigate challenges, transforming a mere working group into a vibrant, empathetic community. This approach elevates collaborative efforts, making the journey as rewarding as the destination.
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Put a logo on it. Ensure that your company logo is at the top of key cross-functional documents and internal knowledge management tools. The logo provides a visual cue for collaboration by anchoring & motivating colleagues in company values. ✔️ Team Agenda? Put a logo on it. ✔️ Project Template? Put a logo on it. ✔️ Confluence page? Put a logo on it. ✔️ That random team brainstorming Google Doc? Put a logo on it.
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