Collaboration is not a mere word that has been freshly generated; it is indeed a tried and tested mechanism that has been passed on from centuries unknown. Collaboration occurs when two individuals or a group of individuals work collectively in order to achieve a common goal by partaking their ideas and skillsets.
Henry Ford, a leading American Industrialist and Business magnet highlighted the importance of collaboration by stating correctly ‘Coming together is progress, and working together is Success’.
To become an integral part of modern commerce, electronic communication in workplace collaboration has become a major necessity; usage of cloud-based programs has become common with technological advancements. Collaboration can take place among traditional teams or among virtual teams.
The digital world has been offering numerous interfaces including emails, chat rooms and instant messaging in order to aid the simultaneous transfer of information to a large number of individuals. With the Internet in its current state, the format has been aiding electronic communication efficiently, such that collaboration is now cake-walk.
Collaboration has proven to make employees more responsible thus raising their level of motivation. With the rise in competition, an increase in creativity encourages employees making them more productive while promoting healthy employee relationships. Apart from adding on to the growth of an organization, collaboration brings several important aspects to the table which includes:
- Effective Brainstorming
- Collective Participation
- Providing Value
Brainstorming leads to numerous perspectives to provide solutions, a strong sense of purpose is generated while adding value when working towards a common goal. A collective participation offers equal opportunities for employees to participate and communicate their ideas. While there might exist few limitations to this form of collaboration, the benefits overpower the limitations even when put together.
Inculcation of collaborative electronic communication in workplaces has significantly proven to be beneficial due to its features:
Self-Analysis:
Collaboration allows individuals to think out of the box, which brings together different specialists and departments, helping employees with new ways to approach the organisation’s goal. A more sustainable
relationship is obtained between customer and organisation in an ever-changing environment and boosts the organisation’s growth.
Employee Skill Development:
Employees and organisations benefit mutually while working together. An interaction between the employees generates newer ideas and a better understanding among the team members which allow them to work, think, negotiate and operate in harmony. Skills are often picked up by colleagues and built upon their strength.
Ability to Solve Problems:
A vast and varied talent pool is created when employees work together collectively as a team than working on individual projects. The talent pool collaborates the experiences of the team members while elevating the team’s probability to solve a problem. There has been a significant increase in virtual collaboration by organisations which minimises or eliminates the need for finances and infrastructure. Businesses are now thriving with the help of virtual collaboration being able to gain better market reach.
The Bigger Picture:
Collaboration allows individuals from several backgrounds to work together, which leverages the differences and recognises a way to complement one another. When a project does not shape up in a particular manner, a view at the bigger picture prevents a team from falling apart while giving additional probabilities to prove their mettle.
Outcomes:
A scope of learning from one another exists when teams collaborate. An organization becomes a source that encourages continuous learning and supports learning through opportunities for successive growth and development. Collaboration of team members enhances their capacity to go and grow beyond their comfort zones.
Information and communication technology offers business communications ways necessary to remain competitive in local and global economies. There has been a significant increase in progressive companies opting for collaboration in order to substitute the same within their teams. The collaborative work environment has a high success rate as the employees feel a strong bond towards the organisation which in turn results in a win-win situation for both the organisation as well as the employees.
Electronic communication has been replacing the hassles that exist while coordinating face-to-face meetings while aggregating productivity and providing easier ways to communicate. There exist a number of ways that electronic communication can generate potential problems in the workplace similar to most technological advancements however in this case, the positives out-weigh the negatives.
Authored by : Pramod Sharda, CEO – IceWarp India & Middle East.
