Collaboration: the Key to Innovation
Collaboration in the workplace is not just about employees working together as a team. Collaboration between company founders is also an important part of today’s business environment, and it can involve two or more companies reaching out and coming together to make something that is stronger and better than ever before. Collaboration is generally seen as two companies working together, but in the case of Intel-Microsoft-Cisco, three companies have successfully come together to make their mark in the tech sector.
Collaboration in today’s business environment is not free from obstacles, and an alliance between two or more companies can bring about all types of unexpected problems, such as a culture clash or a divergence in strategic interests. This said, forging an alliance with another company has many advantages, and these should be clearly addressed before dismissing the idea of collaboration. Collaboration in the business environment is akin to teamwork, but a type of teamwork that it is taken to a higher level.
When two companies decide to collaborate, the ability to brainstorm ideas becomes more intense, and the parties involved will really start to recognise a strong sense of shared purpose. Collaboration in the modern business world is not just advantageous and beneficial, it is often essential in order for one or both companies taking part to maximise their profits and return-on-investment.
Multiplying Skills and Strengths
Collaboration means an instant increase in skills and strengths, the age-old saying that two heads are better than one is still running true. Collaborating is not a competition to see who has more strengths and fewer weaknesses. It is a chance to combine the knowledge and work experience of both parties to improve the overall strength of the companies. Employees within the companies will gain a higher level of understanding of how the company operates as a whole, and enhanced skills can then be taken back to individual departments and put into place.
Faster Innovation and Work Efficiency
Working alone will involve many obstacles, and one of these comes with problem solving. When you have no collaborators, any problems you face will need to be solved by yourselves, and this can often take time. However, a collaborative workplace will allow for faster innovation and efficiency in problem solving, the expertise and viewpoints of each collaborator coming into play so that the problem at hand can be solved quickly and efficiently. Individual projects will also be completed more quickly in the collaborative workplace, and with the ability to distribute work evenly, entire projects can be completed in far less time than if you were attempting to go it alone.
Employee Retention and Job Satisfaction
When companies collaborate in the workplace the overall level of job satisfaction increases and employees in the workplace are noted to be happier. A healthy working environment is essential for the smooth running of your company, and when your employees remain faithful to your company, a bond will form that will engender both alliances and strengths within everyone involved.
Collaborating may seem daunting at the outset, or even threatening, but over time, the benefits clearly outweigh any doubts that you may originally have had. With work, and a little patience, collaborating workforces will become stronger and better and more efficient than ever before when they ran alone, and without the input and dedication of so many employees.
