Collaboration is the backbone of human progress, and it has been for centuries. From the great architectural wonders of the world to advances in medicine and technology, collaboration has played a vital role in our achievements. Collaboration skills are essential for success in today’s work environment, where almost every job requires some level of collaboration. It is the dream of every manager to have a business where employees and different teams within the company work together seamlessly. However, fostering a harmonious collaborative union requires some effort.

Successful collaboration is when team members are united in accomplishing the same goal. The teams may have very different duties and responsibilities, but they work well both as a unit and with the other departments or teams within the business. The result of good collaboration is a business that flourishes and reaches new milestones. Startups and SMBs need collaborative teammates if they are to survive the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective collaboration among the teams and employees of businesses requires both strong communication and interpersonal skills, whether working under the same roof or virtually. There’s a balanced flow of sharing ideas and feedback, and teams hold themselves and others accountable for getting the job done in a unified fashion. Here are five key collaboration skills to bring teams together and knock those big goals out of the park:

1. Active Listening

Clear and thoughtful communication requires self-awareness because employees need to understand their preferences and still strive to hear the concerns of others. Strong active listeners are excellent communicators, both verbally and with written communication. Knowing how to clearly convey ideas is essential for team collaboration, but so is listening to the ideas and feedback of others.

To improve active listening skills, team members need to be present, avoid interruption, and ask follow-up questions.

2. Organization

Team organization and building a cohesive unit that collaborates well together are essential. Delegation, making sure everyone is on the same page, and knows their role is vital. Managers and team leaders should strive for good communication with their teams and other departments to ensure that organization doesn’t deteriorate.

3. Engagement

Creating strong engagement and thus better collaboration skills that unite teams should include regular feedback and discussion. This allows employees to voice their opinions, share ideas, and even explore potentially taking on new job duties.

Employees who feel valued and heard are more engaged in their job and will overall be more enthused when it comes to collaboration.

4. Transparency

Transparency goes a long way to building collaboration among teams in the workplace. Without it, people feel they’re working “for” rather than “with” their managers. Let the people on your team know about where the company is regarding any projects, why certain aspects are important, and any challenges that may come up along the way.

5. Adaptability

Being open-minded and learning to adapt and compromise will increase the chances of successful team collaboration by huge leaps and bounds. It’s just a fact that people have different ambitions and ideas for how a job should be done and what aspects of it deserve the highest priority. Obstacles will arise, and not everyone will agree on the same solution, but to move forward, some compromise is probably necessary. Teams that know how to compromise and adapt will be that much stronger because they’re showing consideration for others and putting the long-term goal ahead of their egos.

Now that we’ve outlined the essential skills for building strong team collaboration, it’s time to look at how to go about doing it. A surefire way to set the tone for team collaboration is to create opportunities for team members to get to know one another. It doesn’t take a sociology expert to realize that people tend to collaborate better when they know who they’re working with.

It’s vital that teams regularly come together, either in-person or via Skype, Zoom, or other video conferencing tools, to share updates and progress. Perhaps the best way that managers and team leaders can foster strong collaboration skills is to lead by example. A leader that is an active listener, organized, adapts well to challenge and strives for a healthy level of transparency with their employees, is going to have a team that is much more capable of successful collaboration.

In conclusion, collaboration skills are essential, and it’s not hard to understand why. Effective collaboration is a vital ingredient in the success of businesses, and it is especially important now when teams are working remotely, and communication is critical. The five key skills for building strong team collaboration are active listening, organization, engagement, transparency, and adaptability. Managers and team leaders should create opportunities for team members to get to know one another and regularly come together to share updates and progress. By demonstrating these skills, leaders can foster strong collaboration skills among their team members and create an environment that is conducive to success.