Building a Collaborative Team: Approaches to composing and leading highly collaborative teams: Management Essay

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BUILDING COLLABORATIVE TEAM
In an organization, collaboration is a crucial factor for a team to work efficiently and effectively. An individual can work better in an environment that allows them to communicate freely and function collaboratively. When collaboration is the primary focus of the work environment, team members can freely express themselves and realize that their contribution is a vital factor in the team. The feeling of being part of a whole would naturally come to them. Various strategies are employed to build a collaborative team with a central theme of equipping the members with a collaborative mindset by actively engaging in the group dynamic.
APPROACHES TO FOSTER TEAM COLLABORATION
Nowadays, it is not easy to find a workplace that illustrates teamwork. The majority of the current organizational structures implement reward systems that mostly revolve around the performances and contributions at the individual level, and thus collaborative teamwork is often overlooked. Along with individual growth within the workplace, a company must realize how important collaboration is in accelerating organizational growth.
In cultivating team cohesion, there should be a precise and exact cause for the team members. When members are given a convincing reason to become a part of the company’s mission, cohesion among the team is more comfortable to be created. Members will become more inspired to accomplish the company’s mission that is exciting and compelling. Like their team leaders, being passionate about their work would come naturally to them when given a meaningful cause. If goals and objectives are unclear, members would not bother to work together and would find various reasons and excuses to be unproductive (Bagshaw, Lepp, & Zorn).
Another strategy to build a collaboration mindset is to communicate expectations. To have a strong collaboration, each member’s roles and responsibilities should be defined individually and collectively. Team members will be able to work collaboratively when they have a clear perception of their duties. In this way, conflicts can be prevented since team members are more aware of their tasks without going beyond their boundaries, creating unforeseen disputes. In an environment where collaboration fosters, team members have the opportunity to experience being a part of the shared responsibility of results. With this mindset, an individual achievement would turn into a successful bonded group experience as the team members build morale and comrade (Bagshaw, Lepp, & Zorn).
Having measurable goals is a factor in driving the team’s success. These goals provide the team with a basis to measure their progress and what they have already achieved. Additionally, these goals should also be re-evaluated and are-assessed regularly to know which aspect needs improvement. Outcomes of the goals should be transparent to enable the team to see their accomplishment and celebrate even small successes. With this type of focus, throwing blame, confusion, and the breakdown of team cohesion are lessened (Holton).
A great strategy to encourage and empower each team member is to enhance their strengths instead of working with their weaknesses. It is suggested that personality tests should be taken by each member and share their outcomes. Aside from having a bonding exercise, this activity would also allow each team to understand themselves better and know other team members on a deeper level. It also gives an insight regarding the information on whom to go to and for what is based on that person’s strengths. In this manner, success can be achieved in no time, as each member can play their part well, utilizing their strengths (Joo et al.).
Team cohesion is more enhanced when each team member is included in making critical and large decisions. The individual would appreciate this feeling of inclusion since their role is perceived to be significant in the team, causing them to function better naturally. Furthermore, daily huddles would enable each member to share and discuss their objectives to avoid duplication of tasks and avoid wasting efforts that could result in unhealthy competition among team members. In this way, such efforts can be redirected whenever necessary
The growth of the team can be more enhanced when each member is encouraged innovation. Team members should be allowed to engage in brainstorming in a non-judgmental environment. A mindset of a “can-do” attitude should be instilled among team members to motivate them and make them believe that obstacles and challenges can be overcome. It is crucial to ask their opinions and ideas regularly. When they feel more connected and understood by their leader, such members would be motivated to work and perform better, exceeding expectations (Joo et al.).
The cohesiveness of a team can also be built during events outside work. Socializing with co-workers after work or outside the workplace is an excellent channel for communication in which walls of any mistrust and biases between members can be broken down. Socializing can allow team members to learn if they share common interests or have opposing beliefs and values. It allows team members to be more real with themselves, which can reduce stereotypes, false objectification, and individual biases.
A successful venture starts when a collaborative environment is established. There should be consistency and purposefulness for collaboration to work and its resources and rewards for each achievement. Productivity can be increased by several folds when teams are working collaboratively. Team members would feel more motivated to work in something that can make them feel that their roles are significant to something bigger.
MUST-HAVES OF A HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE TEAM
For a collaborative team to work, several things are needed and maintained. One thing that a team should employ is a collaboration tool. With the rapid advancement of technology, technological tools should be utilized. Numerous tools have been developed that are designed to improve knowledge-sharing and collaboration among team members. Such tools range from old resources to newly developed resources. Specifications of the undergoing projects should be considered when investing in collaborative tools. Everyday technology tool needs include resource libraries with shared-access, a document...