In the modern workplace, there is much greater need for cross-functional collaboration to improve business process efficiencies and to drive increased productivity. While team collaboration has always been an important to the success of any business, the focus used to be on ensuring teams based in the same physical location were collaborating effectively together.

 Today, many businesses now operate across multi-location structure, often with a mix of virtual and in-office teams collaborating across multiple digital applications. The changing business landscape means collaboration and teamwork is more complexed and more difficult to achieve, so spending time on improving how we can work together and support each other becomes a vital skill in our toolkit as individuals.

If we can improve our skills and be able to contribute across this changing landscape, then the benefits can mean increased employee engagement, greater innovation and increased leadership.

How to Develop Multiple Stakeholder Team Collaboration

Having an IT infrastructure that supports easy and fast communication across teams in multiple locations is an essential requirement but having the right people in roles is just as important.

The ability to be able to build relationships quickly and to work effectively with others is a very valuable human skill. Being able to develop in this area can unlock career opportunities and provide a bigger contribution to business success, so nurturing these skills can be greatly beneficial.

Here are some of the ways to develop stronger collaboration skills:

 Active Listening

Being able to communicate effectively with other team members requires several techniques and active listening is as important as being able to clearly communicate your own thoughts and ideas. Having an open mind and respecting other people’s views will also help to ensure you develop trust between stakeholders as you collaborate.

Communication and Debating

Leading and contributing to debates is another key element of collaboration and it is not a skill that comes easily to everyone. Debating helps to spark innovative ideas and can influence the direction of a project, but it requires good facilitation to encourage a healthy and productive debate.

The best way to develop in this area is to practice this in less important meetings and to keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone if debating does not come naturally. Observe and learn from others who are adept at debating.

 Adaptability

Whatever industry you work in, there will always be unexpected factors that can disrupt work and slow a project down. Whether there is a problem with resources, technology, finances or any other type of curveball thrown into the mix, being able to adapt to an unexpected situation can help to keep a project on track.

 Learning to be more adaptable involves keeping a positive mindset and not allowing a negative outcome to deter you from completing the task or reduce your motivation. Mental resilience helps you to manage stressful situations both within and outside of the workplace, so finding a way to channel stress can have many positive benefits on your life and career.

 Identify the Best Ways to Communicate

 When you are working on a project with team members who are based in other teams, often at other locations, finding the best way to communicate saves time and keeps the project moving at pace. Project management software is vital for streamlining the work channels but also knowing when it is best to send a quick instant/chat message and when you need to pick up the phone is key.

Understanding the different digital collaboration tools and the benefits of each will stand you in good stead to effectively use the tools at your disposal. This allows you collaborate more efficiently and ultimately improve the project outcome.

Next Step: Incorporate These Skills into Your Personal Development Plan

By incorporating the four areas listed above into your self-development objectives, you can start demonstrating a stronger ability to collaborate and work better with others. With practice and consistency, mastering these elements will enable you to reach your full potential, gaining both short-term and long-term career rewards, such as promotions and higher job satisfaction.

 Keep a look out for more tips on boosting your career through human skill development in our series of blogs.

This blog is a part of our on-going series "Our guide to the human skills you need to get ahead"