Getting projects done on time depends on efficient teamwork. Efforts to improve collaboration in your office can be great for simplifying tasks and encouraging high performance. Your team may be spending a lot of time navigating the communication chain, going through supervisors or management before their message reaches the person responsible for the answer. So, how can you encourage collaboration in your team?  

Encourage Team Contributions 

It can be great to have a central hub person for information. However, that may mean your team members are always coming to you with ideas or comments that you need to pass along. Gently encourage them to talk to each other instead of relying on the manager to relay that information. This will improve collaboration and ultimately save time too! 

Allow Equal Access to Information

Shared drives and cloud computing are popular tools for a reason. Using shared files to disperse knowledge to everyone on the team means they’ll have everything they need at their fingertips. 

Use Collaborative Tools 

There are a plethora of tools you can use to improve collaboration in your team. There are instant messaging tools like Microsoft Teams or Google Chat for quick contact. Project management software like Microsoft Project, Monday, or even Trello boards can help assess where projects are. Using these tools means your team can instantly connect whenever they have a question and get the response they need—no need to wait for management to relay their message. 

Keep It Clear, Concise, and Honest

Allowing your team to work together doesn’t mean that management won’t have any communication with the group. The goal should be to foster teamwork while offering support when they need it. When checking in, your team should feel free to express any issues they’re experiencing without fear of repercussions. Then, management can bring in other team members to discuss concerns. For example, if a member of your team isn’t clear about how a task will work out for the project and has a concern with its feasibility, they should be able to discuss it with all parties involved to reach a solution. Sometimes one person will catch something that will ultimately save a project! 

About Lewis-Price & Associates Inc.

Lewis-Price & Associates, Inc., is a fast-growing mission solutions company supporting federal agencies through premiere training, program management and IT services. Serving federal agencies across the government spectrum, from defense to civilian, we ensure the success of ongoing federal agency operations through effective curriculum development, professional coaching, program management, and administrative and technical services. Lewis-Price is committed to providing high-quality, effective, and on-time solutions to partners and customers through a team that values integrity, intention, and excellence in everything we do. Learn about how we can bring our unique approach to success to your organization today at lewisprice.com, and please follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.