What are the best ways to create a culture of collaboration during times of change?
Change is inevitable, but it can also be challenging, especially for teams that need to work together effectively. How can you foster a culture of collaboration during times of change, and why is it important for your organization's success? In this article, you'll learn some practical tips and strategies to promote a collaborative mindset among your employees and overcome common barriers to teamwork.
One of the best ways to create a culture of collaboration during times of change is to define a clear vision and goals for your team and your organization. This will help everyone understand the purpose and direction of the change, and how their roles and contributions fit into the bigger picture. Communicate your vision and goals regularly and transparently, and invite feedback and input from your team members. This will make them feel valued and involved, and motivate them to collaborate towards a shared outcome.
-
A powerful way to create cohesion is to come together to solve a problem which is important to everyone. Once I was in a new organization which was the result of a merger. One of my first tasks was to solve a problem that had persisted for 7 years. We had a defective 278 file transfer process which caused intake staff to do double entry and the authorization process delayed patient care. I brought different parts of the new organization together to solve this. We had everyone from clinical, operations, IT, information security, engineering and project management. We solved this problem in less than 7 months. We eliminated double entry and cut the time to authorize patient care by 50%. This brought functional areas together and built trust.
Another key factor for creating a culture of collaboration during times of change is to encourage open communication and feedback among your team members and across different departments. This will help you build trust and rapport, and foster a positive and supportive work environment. Use various channels and platforms to communicate effectively, such as meetings, emails, chats, surveys, and social media. Provide constructive and timely feedback to your team members, and acknowledge their achievements and challenges. Also, create opportunities for your team members to share their ideas, opinions, and concerns, and listen to them actively and empathetically.
Change can also bring new skills and competencies that your team members need to learn and adapt to. To create a culture of collaboration during times of change, you need to provide training and support to your team members, and help them develop their capabilities and confidence. Identify the gaps and needs of your team members, and offer them relevant and accessible learning resources and tools. You can also use coaching, mentoring, or peer learning programs to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among your team members. Additionally, provide emotional and psychological support to your team members, and help them cope with stress and uncertainty.
Finally, one of the best ways to create a culture of collaboration during times of change is to recognize and reward collaboration among your team members and across your organization. This will reinforce the value and importance of teamwork, and inspire your team members to continue collaborating effectively. You can use various methods to recognize and reward collaboration, such as public praise, appreciation cards, incentives, bonuses, or team events. You can also use gamification techniques, such as badges, points, or leaderboards, to make collaboration fun and engaging.
Creating a culture of collaboration during times of change can be challenging, but it can also bring many benefits for your organization, such as improved performance, innovation, satisfaction, and retention. By following these tips and strategies, you can foster a collaborative mindset among your employees, and help them navigate change successfully.
-
The best ways to create a culture of collaboration during times of change is to first fully explain the reason for the change - then listen. Listen to hear the responses, not to respond. See how they lean, towards or against the change. Be prepared to listen more than you speak and allow the team to feel heard. Most people resist it, and will certainly resist collaborating for it, if they don't fully understand or know exactly where they fit. If they lean against the change, help them see the value it will add to their role(s). Give clear examples of how the change will be advantageous and what they can do to ease into it. Most of the time people react negatively to change because it's not fully discussed ahead of the actual event.
-
Begin with an honest dialogue…by asking a question. Organizational change and collaboration are only believed when shared. The old “we tried that before,it didn’t work”. Won’t help here.Where can the conversation go from there? Instead go to your Leads, these are generally people who have no title, but lots of influence in your culture. ( they are almost always your ‘go-to’ folks) ASK them this question: “what would you like for us to consider in this circumstance.?” And actually follow through on their responses. Next ask the surrounding levels of employees. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already come up with the idea. These are the people, and the micro conversations, (conversations when you’re not around), that lead to change and buy in.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Large Group FacilitationWhat do you do if your organization lacks collaboration and teamwork?
-
LeadershipWhat do you do if collaboration in your team is causing more harm than good?
-
Business ManagementWhat role does leadership play in fostering team collaboration?
-
Culture ChangeWhat do you do if team members' individual strengths hinder collaboration in culture change?