Good collaboration plays a key role in the success of all businesses. But, even with its numerous benefits, companies pay limited attention to developing strong communication channels. This is reflected in research conducted by Zippia, which states that nearly 40% of employees feel their workplace doesn’t collaborate enough. Additionally, 86% of employees report inefficient communication among leaders as the prime reason for project failures. When it comes to creating strong internal collaboration and communication, business leaders need to be the ones taking the initiative, and this article will explore the best strategies to do just that.

Be a Role model

When it comes to creating a good work culture the top-down approach works best. This means that you’ll need to practice what you preach and be a role model for others in the organization in the following ways:

• • Provide Updates: for all projects, provide timely updates regarding the progress of your tasks. This can be done through emails or regularly meeting stakeholders in person.

• • Improve Transparency: whether it be project expectations, workplace behavior, etc., be transparent regarding your assessment of things and be open to critique as well. This will help develop trust and understanding among the team and lead to a healthier workplace.

• • Be Reliable: if you schedule meetings, then make it a point to attend. Similarly, practice an open door policy and use your experience to guide team members who approach you for assistance.

Implement Collaborative Tools

While face-to-face conversations are the best method for team-building, achieving ideal communication levels requires the use of technology. In today’s fast-paced business world, new problems can arise every hour, and your team needs to have instant access to the data they need. This requires the use of collaboration tools such as:

• • Project Management Tool: These tools provide a centralized dashboard using which projects can be divided into time-bound smaller tasks. These can then be assigned to employees to avoid confusion and set realistic expectations. Additionally, employees can add notes and check off tasks once they’re done. To learn more about Project Management Tools, have a look at our online course here.

• PDF Merge Tool: For projects involving numerous teams, it’s best to collate all important documents and updates. This reduces delays and overcomes the possibility of information being lost in communication. Rather than managing an email thread, save all documents as a PDF and use a merge tool to create comprehensive project documentation.

Avoid Micromanaging

Micromanaging is a management style where managers closely monitor and control every decision made by employees. As reported by Asana, micromanagement is one of the prime reasons for employee resignations. Let’s face it, no one likes to constantly be told what to do, especially if they have been hired to do a job based on skill and competence. If you notice other leaders or yourself micromanaging teams, here are two important changes that need to be made promptly,

• • Place Trust in Employees: To be hired for a role, employees ace several rounds of screenings and prove that they’re better than others in their field. Hence, allow them the time and space to utilize said skills and excel at their work.

• • Learn to Delegate: Instead of trying to tackle all tasks yourself, start dividing them among team members based on areas of expertise. Not only will this reduce completion times, but increase employee morale and confidence.

Provide Consistent Feedback

Don’t wait for the annual employee review to provide your feedback. Rather, have a one-on-one with team members after each project to praise them for what was done well and provide guidance on areas of improvement. Giving feedback will play a key role in trust building and developing strong relations with employees.

Collaboration in the workplace doesn’t develop automatically. As a business leader, you’ll need to lead from the front and push for clear, timely communication among teams. Incorporating software will make the process streamlined and easy to follow for everyone in the organization.