The most successful organizations enable for employees at all levels to share knowledge, best practices and more effectively collaborate across the organization.
When employees share and collaborate, the following occur in the organization:
- Problems are solved more creatively
- Innovative products and services are developed
- Teams are stronger and relationships among employees are strong
- Employees achieve personal and professional growth
- More opportunities are realized
- Top talent is retained
- Lessons learned are captured and shared
Take these key steps to support and enable collaboration within your organization:
- Engage employees and their management in the benefits and value of collaborating across the organization – pointing out not solely organizational benefits but also individual benefits. Look for pockets of effective collaboration now (likely there are groups of employees who collaborate regularly!) and share those successes across the organization.
- Utilize a collaboration tool or internal site that enables sharing of information (I use SharePoint but there are many options available) and provide training and documentation on how to use the site.
- Contribute to the site articles, best practices, case studies/success stories from within the organization and lessons learned as well as starting discussions.
- Ask employees to contribute articles, ask questions, start and respond to discussions, share their best practices and lessons learned.
It is essential to ensure that employees have been trained in using the collaboration tool and that they have the support from their managers to use the tool. Highlight those employees who use the tool – praising their contributions and the work they are doing. This usually helps to engage others. Be sure managers contribute to the collaboration portal also! As well as leaders by asking them to share news about their department or division via the portal.
Increasing collaboration within organizations have so many benefits to both the organization and the individuals. Those organizations that enable sharing of knowledge and collaboration see the value immediately!