The Power of Collaboration: Building Strong Teams

When I think back to the most influential teams I’ve been on, there’s one consistent identifier – they were made up of strong individuals. It wasn’t an assertive manager who drove things forward, but rather a passionate team of unique personalities who cared about the quality and creativity of their work.

Every one of us brings distinct background and real-life experience that can’t be replicated (by AI or anyone else). Some ways to develop a team of resolved individuals into one unified team, whether for sports or work, are to identify skills and diversify. Differences should be leveraged and celebrated!

Once you have your team, the next step is to establish trust amongst yourselves. If teammates don’t feel that they can have open, honest dialogue with their leadership and each other, than quality of work will be quickly stifled. Think back to a time you’ve had an exciting “Aha!” moment. Did you share those ideas with your boss? Or were you too afraid? What about your team? The way we react to fresh ideas (whether implemented or not) says a lot about the strength of a group. Establishing open dialogue is key.

Another aspect of successful collaboration is providing teams with the tools they need to succeed. While this will look different from group to group, and even person to person, ensuring that there are methods in place is imperative. Some tips for this are to ask – What do you need to do your job better? How can leadership better support you? What are some paint points you’ve been experiencing?

Setting goals that everyone is aligned with is imperative to success. If that is not defined, teams won’t know what they should be aiming for; likely leading to chaos, stress and misunderstanding. With established objectives, this will help the team brainstorm more effectively and work as one entity.

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate your success! Both individual contributions and wholistic tactics that led to achievement should be acknowledged. Positive reinforcement is often an under-looked aspect of building strong teams, but it’s one that can have great impact. On hard weeks when stress levels are high, teams who recognize that their hard work isn’t going unnoticed are far more likely to keep striving and not burn out.

With these tips in mind, enjoy an aligned effort from your team towards your goals. Happy collaborating!

Written by Alyssa Worley