67% OF EMPLOYEES BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO CAN HELP THEM BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE*

For many business leaders, seamless collaboration is a top priority, but knowing how to collaborate successfully within an organization can be challenging. Regardless of the industry, collaborative roadblocks are often the result of avoidable communication and knowledge sharing challenges. Poor leadership, trouble with implementation, and miscommunication arise without the proper collaborative structure. With varying departments spearheading collaboration initiatives as well as a wide spectrum of budgets, unique company cultures, and department goals, it’s safe to say that no two companies have the same blueprint for collaborative infrastructure.

To keep a company functioning, progress is enabled through employee collaboration. When employees cooperate, the energy needed to overcome internal barriers is lessened, accelerating success. Research, product development, or even customer service do not properly work without employee collaboration.

No matter the company size, an employee shouldn’t feel isolated and disengaged. Social Intranets and Enterprise Social Networks help to catalyze collaboration.

Enterprise collaboration success is reached when:

–Collaboration is encouraged by leaders, including middle management.

When collaboration trickles from the top down, employees feel comfortable contributing ideas and solutions to projects and problems, even if they fall outside of their job description. As a result, conversation and knowledge sharing naturally flow.

-Employees contribute willingly, knowing that his/her opinions and suggestions are valued by colleagues and leadership.

Colleagues work as a team in creating and solving business problems. Using each other’s knowledge as a resource can reduce the delay in waiting for senior leadership and speed up project completion. Through unified collaborative efforts, best business practices are adopted, allowing the team to be prepared for upcoming business opportunities.

-The work environment culture is open and transparent.

As new technologies and strategies are incorporated into daily business practices they are viewed as imperative to organizational success. Opportunities are found to apply collaborative solutions to business challenges through a new way of working. The business value of teamwork becomes clear.

-Leadership adopts and participates in best practices for collaboration.

New collaborative technologies are implemented most successfully after group discussions. (Having both executive buy in and employees on board is vital to success.) When employees are trained and given time to integrate new practices into daily work, there is a more seamless transition and positive user experience. Giving sufficient time for new working habits to emerge and making collaborative resources available allows employees to feel comfortable asking questions.

The modern workplace is changing. Alternative ideas to save time, creative ways to increase business or even better product outcomes all arise as employees feel important, listened to, and vested. Collaborative efforts are beneficial for ALL when ALL are invested. Encourage the transparent sharing of knowledge and business information–the greatest power is in a unified team effort.

*Elizabeth. “Social Knows: Employee Engagement Statistics.” The Social Workplace. N.p., 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Aug. 2015.