Workplace collaboration is a way of getting multiple individuals or departments working towards a similar goal. It includes idea-sharing, resource-sharing, and open flow of communication. Taking steps to boost collaboration in your business can help you get an edge on your competition. Here are a few easy-to-implement strategies for doing just that.

Open up Communication

Sometimes it’s as simple as letting your employees contact one another. Often, employees from different departments have never met each other, let alone had a conversation. It’s difficult to know what someone else brings to the table when they have no history. Sometimes this can be as simple as getting people together in a meeting, other times it can be useful to send people to team-building training to help break the ice. Making sure that there is a solid communication medium, such as Skype for Business, helps people to identify the key players they are collaborating with, and get to know them.

Project Management
Using project management tools that foster cooperation and allow multiple individuals to both be assigned to a project, and see what others are working on, can be a great way to get- and keep- the ball rolling. There are free web-based services such as Asana or Trello, but if your company can afford it, you can have a space designed specifically for your business to work in. It allows people who may never have the chance to meet in real life to interact with each other in productive ways.

Time Saving Searches

Using resources out there that help save you time is also a great way to work. You may need to add a professional to your project that doesn’t normally work with you, such as a designer, a caterer, or a real estate agent. Using a website to help you locate a professional for a one-time collaboration on a project can save both time and money. Websites such as Open Agent can help you find a professional to assist you- you put in the parameters, and they send you back results that meet your requirements. It allows you to find the help you need, at a price you can afford, without taking up too much of your valuable time.

Flexible Workspace Design
Making sure that the office is conducive to engaging in conversation and free-flow of ideas is important. Get rid of the cubicles and make sure that there is plenty of communal work-space, as well as rest-space. Great employee collaboration occurs best when people feel free to open up and share about their personal lives, as well as their work. Encourage down-time when employees can mingle, or plan working lunches in a less formal setting such as a chain restaurant or ordering take out in a large conference room. Whatever steps you choose to implement to start boosting collaboration, remember that they key to having employees work well together is encouraging the open flow of information and ideas. Loosening up your stance on people taking breaks that are a bit too long may wind up paying off in productivity and innovation in the end. Keep working towards a welcoming and creative environment where employees feel free to express themselves and you’ll soon have the type of cooperation that brings about positive changes.