Why Collaboration Is So Important In Business
Collaborate (verb): to work, one with another; cooperate,
When it comes to collaboration in business, it is a practice where rather than working towards individual goals, employees work together to achieve a business goal. Here’s a look at why collaboration is so important in business.
Utilizes employee strengths.
Each employee is gifted with their own set of unique skills, talents, and areas of expertise. When employees work on projects individually they may encounter their weaknesses slowing down their progress in achieving the desired outcome. However, when employees collaborate, they are able to pool their collective areas of strength and achieve the common goal.
Saves time.
Collaboration also allows the company to leverage the knowledge and experience of employees. Rather than have new employees complete projects on their own and spend extra time learning the background of a particular issue or the regulations surrounding a particular process, seasoned employees can pass along what they have already learned. A setback that would have taken an individual employee weeks to overcome could be solved by a team within a few hours as everyone is able to share their knowledge and experience to get the project completed faster.
Improve productivity.
Another way collaboration is so important in business is because of the improved productivity collaboration brings. In addition to the time savings mentioned above when employees collaborate they are able to build healthy employee relationships. When employees develop health employee relationships, general overall productivity is improved. Employees who enjoy working together will be more productive than employees constantly trying to undermine coworkers, guess the motives of their coworkers, or generally spend time bickering.
Provides a sense of purpose.
When employees are siloed and each working on their own projects and goals, it can leave employees unsure of their place in the larger mission of the organization. Tasks and projects can seem meaningless when they don’t fit into the bigger picture of company wide goals. On the other hand, when employees collaborate they can have a clearer understanding of how their strengths and talents benefit the company as a whole. Additionally, they can see the benefits of the unique skill sets of their coworkers.
Although it can take some extra time to set up collaboration efforts within the company, these efforts will pay for themselves in the long term. Collaboration is so important in business and provides employees a sense of purpose, improved productivity, time savings, and utilization of their unique strengths.
