For any meaningful achievement, great collaboration is paramount. This collaboration happens among individuals with different personalities, calling for the need to coexist. Guidance from leaders is, therefore, key.
In growth-oriented companies, managers are leaders, and they take the lead in meaningful collaborations. For instance, they prepare the teams for meetings and keep meetings on track. Managers are expected to be of affirmative voice.
Here are things managers can encourage to help teams collaborate better;
A manager has to lead by example.
Encourage collaboration by setting an example of how to work together, and the teams will learn from you. It takes simple things like asking for help from your juniors on areas you feel lacking. This awakens the team spirit in them, for it gives them a sense of belonging.
Showcase good communication and listening skills.
Encourage open communication and also encourage all ideas, no matter how strange they may sound. Real innovation comes when teams feel safe to try new things.
A manager should also showcase collaborative qualities like respect.
Teams get to work together willingly when everyone feels respected and appreciated. It becomes easy for the manager to urge teams to respect each other when he also exhibits respect. Respect is exhibited in simple things like time management. For instance, don’t invite your team to a meeting; keep them waiting. In cases where keeping them waiting is unavoidable, render your honest apologies. This will encourage the teams to value each other’s time.
Managers should encourage empathy and understanding.
They should provide avenues to help teammates and teams interact within or outside work. This enables them to understand each other personally, creating personal understanding. Teams with personal understanding tend to make allowances when needed, which makes everyone feel accommodated.
Managers also ensure that everyone in the different teams is on the same level and resonates with the primary goal.
Explain individual roles to the team members and ensure they understand and are comfortable with everything. This enables everyone to work towards the same objective.
Managers should encourage open feedback.
Make teams comfortable enough to express themselves and, at the same time, be able to give honest feedback – safe spaces bread incredible ideas, which result in significant innovations.
Managers should also showcase transparency.
Transparency goes along with good communication. It involves leaders sharing what is happening or what they think. They should also be able to accept their weaknesses and failures and be willing to work on them. Teams feel less defensive and more collaborative when they realize that even their leaders make mistakes and do not blame it on them but own up to their mistakes.
Being a manager can be exhausting when you work with a difficult team. It becomes less exhausting and even enjoyable when you get to, first of all, understand your teams. This gives you a better chance to know precisely how to handle each individual and different situation. As a manager, teams tend to work according to what you showcase. Showcase qualities that you’d like the teams to pick from you. Showcase respect, transparency, adequacy, productivity, and accountability.
