A Guide to Building a More Collaborative Workforce

Eagle’s Flight™ A Guide to Building a More Collaborative Workforce 1

A Guide to Building a More Collaborative Workforce


Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Benefits of a Collaborative Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The 7 Characteristics of a Collaborative Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Build a More Collaborative Workforce

with Experiential Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Partner with Eagle’s Flight to Build a More Collaborative Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Table of Contents


Collaboration occurs when individuals share information and work together to

generate ideas and solutions to problems. A collaborative workforce is apt to

operate less in silos and be more inclined to work together to meet company

objectives. In fact, in a recent survey of CEOs, 86 percent named collaboration as a

very important business skill in helping the company meet strategic goals.1

It’s important to build collaboration skills in the workforce, in large part because

people collaborate with varying degrees of success. Some individuals are frequent

collaborators, such as millennials, who are naturally attracted to team-based work

cultures where they can build relationships, identify mentorship opportunities,

and showcase their skills in a nonthreatening environment.2 On the flip side, some

employees are reluctant to collaborate or just don’t know how to be effective

in a highly collaborative environment. To realize the benefits of a collaborative

workforce, all employees require the necessary skills and knowledge to engage in

the desired behaviors.

Introduction

86%named collaboration as a

very important business skill in helping the company meet

strategic goals.


The Benefits of a Collaborative Workforce

While some employees naturally work collaboratively, others need to learn the

skills and behaviors that support healthy collaboration in the workplace. When

all employees understand the importance and value of collaboration, and

demonstrate that understanding in their behaviors, a number of benefits will

come forth.

Increased Productivity

Team productivity requires that every member is onboard and contributing to

a common goal. Research validates the clear link between collaboration and

productivity. A study conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity

found that companies that embrace and reward collaboration are five and a half

times as likely to be high-performing as companies that don’t create a culture of

collaboration.3 Collaboration technology is another catalyst for employee efficiency.

In one survey, 50 percent of millennials (and 46 percent of Gen Xers)

said that collaboration tools such as workplace social networks helped to

boost their productivity.4



Higher Levels of Employee Engagement

When individuals have the chance to collaborate on work projects and tasks, they

are, in essence, developing stronger connections with coworkers and the work

itself. Research has shown that almost any degree of collaboration can improve

engagement, particularly when employees feel part of something larger than

themselves. A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University found that

when individuals have just the perception of collaborating as part of a team, they’re

more engaged and motivated to work on tasks to completion.5

“Research has shown that almost any degree of collaboration can improve engagement, particularly when employees feel part of

something larger than themselves.”


Stronger Corporate Culture

In a culture where individuals routinely share information, resources, and feedback,

collaboration isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a company core value that guides employee

behavior, is modeled by leaders, and is a prerequisite for promotion to positions

of leadership. In a truly collaborative work culture, teamwork, communication, and

sharing are woven into the fabric of the organization at every level, among every

employee.



The 7 Characteristics of a Collaborative Workforce

In a collaborative workplace, individuals exercise strong teamwork more than

just some of the time. They operate in a culture where collaboration is consistent

and evident in their everyday behaviors. When collaboration is always happening,

leaders help teams work together toward a common goal, new ideas have a better

chance of success, and the organization functions better as a collection of high-

performing teams completes tasks.

While most people have some idea of what constitutes a truly collaborative

workforce and culture, there are key differentiators that distinguish high-

performing, collaborative teams from the rest. Here are seven characteristics that

define a collaborative workforce:

Strong leadership is an essential component of any workplace because leaders

set the tone for employee behavior. In a study of 200 healthcare employees,

researchers found that strong leadership helped to encourage greater team

communication and collaboration.6

1. Leadership



Although this study focuses on the healthcare industry, leaders in every industry

support collaboration by communicating expectations, rallying the team around a

shared goal, and providing necessary coaching and mentoring. They help to create

an environment where collaboration is expected and encouraged.

Leadership isn’t reserved just for senior-level management. Individuals at all levels

can demonstrate leadership by showing others, through their example, what

it means to work effectively within a team. Collaborative leaders reach across

departmental and functional lines, helping teams overcome a silo mentality in favor

of working more closely with others.

“Strong leadership is an essential component of any workplace because

leaders set the tone for employee behavior.”

For collaboration to become a reality, members of any team need to focus

their efforts on a common goal. Otherwise, conflicting personal agendas will

prevent collaboration from ever happening. Employees have a host of tasks and

responsibilities that pull them in many directions, but collaboration requires that

they resist distractions that take their focus away from the team and its objectives.

Having a common goal is not enough. Individuals on highly collaborative teams

share a unanimous focus on the team’s goal and demonstrate their buy-in in all

that they do. When every member of the team supports the shared goal, a sense of

team spirit develops, and collaboration begins to happen more naturally.



2. Unanimous Focus on a Common Goal


In today’s complex and changing business landscape, it’s not uncommon for

teams to face goals that seem larger than life and a bit unwieldy. When individuals

organize into subgroups of the broader organization, they can tackle smaller, more

manageable goals as part of a team that communicates, shares resources, and

supports each other.

For collaboration to thrive, each subgroup needs to understand its role and how

its members must work in conjunction with other subgroups or functions. In a

global survey of over 1,200 COOs and operational managers, 61 percent said that

cross-functional collaboration had the greatest potential for helping their company

reach its strategic goals.7 An effective subgroup encourages collaboration, cross-

functionally and otherwise, by practicing frequent communication, giving each

member a chance to contribute to team deliverables, and recognizing its role

relative to the whole organization.


61%said that cross-functional

collaboration had the greatest potential for helping

their company reach its strategic goals.

3. Clearly Defined Roles for Subgroups



Sharing resources includes people, ideas and thoughts, tools, and processes,

all of which encourage a mutually beneficial relationship among teams who are

ultimately working toward the organization’s common goal. When resources are

shared rather than reserved for the use of just a few, collaboration will improve

among teams, as will the company culture.

Sharing resources may seem like a simple concept, but in practice, it can be

more challenging and may take some time to master. Managers and employees

who are accustomed to working mainly with individuals in their department or

unit may struggle with sharing information, ideas, or even people with other

teams. However, for collaboration to happen, employees must be willing to share

resources beyond the boundaries of their specific workgroup.

4. Shared Resources


Effective communication between individuals and teams is one of the hallmarks

of a collaborative workforce. Without it, a team is nothing more than a collection

of individuals working in isolation. Effective communication (or the lack thereof)

strongly influences the effectiveness of a team and its achievement of goals. In fact,

in a survey of 1,400 corporate executives, 86 percent cited poor collaboration and

communication as the main cause of workplace failures.8

Strong communication skills help leaders effectively set goals and expectations,

allowing individuals to gain clarity on who is doing what and where opportunities

for collaboration exist. Frequent communication also helps teams draw on the

knowledge and insights of every member of the team. It supports the development

of a rhythm of regular information sharing that helps individuals know and

understand what’s important in helping the team achieve its goals.


“Effective communication (or the lack thereof) strongly influences the effectiveness

of a team and its achievement of goals.”

5. Effective and Frequent Communication


While results are critically important in evaluating the success of any team or

organization, optimal collaboration requires that each individual consistently give

their best effort toward achieving those results. When challenged with competing

demands in the workplace, it’s not uncommon for an individual’s initial enthusiasm

for a team goal to wane over time. Unfortunately, a decline in enthusiasm

can result in reduced effort, responsiveness, and focus on keeping the team’s

momentum going.

While employee effort is a basic requirement for the achievement of any goal, a

truly collaborative culture requires that the effort is consistent, enthusiastic, and

united with the effort of others on the team. A highly collaborative workforce

approaches team projects with the same level of dedication and effort in week five

as in week one. Individuals consistently arrive at meetings on time, offer creative

ideas, and demonstrate excitement for accomplishing team goals until the goals

are met.


6. Consistent, United, and Enthusiastic Effort



Having a healthy ego and sense of self can positively contribute to an individual’s

self-confidence and development as a leader. However, for a collaborative culture

to grow, individual ego must be periodically suppressed in favor of the needs of the

team. Sometimes it will be necessary for a team member to defer to the thoughts,

ideas, and contributions of others, allowing everyone on the team to have a voice.

Periodic and temporary suppression of the ego doesn’t mean that individuals must

refrain from sharing their passion, commitment, or leadership with the rest of

the team. Rather, individuals can encourage increased collaboration by practicing

humility, accepting that good ideas can come from many individuals, and placing

team goals ahead of a personal agenda.

7. Periodic and Temporary Suppression of the Ego


Build a More Collaborative Workforce with Experiential Learning

In today’s business world, sophisticated technology and complex work processes

have created an environment where employees are more interconnected than ever,

which leads to unprecedented collaboration. However, technology can only go so

far. Collaboration will only be as effective as the humans behind the technology, as

they require the skills to work effectively as critical team members. Every employee

can benefit from training that teaches them why collaboration is important, what

it means to their role at work, and the skills—such as communication and time

management—that will also play a huge role.

One of the best ways to teach employees the skills they need and the benefits

of a collaborative workforce is with experiential learning. Experiential learning

allows individuals to learn by doing, rather than simply reading, watching, or

listening to examples of collaboration. Learning by doing fits the needs of a

wide spectrum of learners more readily, regardless of their cultural background,

generational differences, or organizational seniority. By allowing participants to

test out new collaboration skills in a practical, hands-on setting that mimics real-

world challenges, experiential training helps employees return to work with the

confidence they need to be successful collaborators.

“One of the best ways to teach employees the skills they need and the benefits of a collaborative

workforce is with experiential learning.”



When teams—and, ideally, the entire organization—have a shared experience,

such as the ones facilitated through experiential learning training, the impact often

results in:

New Skills

No matter if it’s communication, breaking down silos, or time

management, experiential learning covers a wide array of topics

so everyone gets the training they need to be successful back on

the job in situations where collaboration is required.

New Relationships

Whether the team has never worked together before or is

welcoming new members, experiential learning brings people

together in a no-pressure environment, so they get to know each

other as people first. Ultimately, they will come to see they can

begin to trust one another!

Improved Relationships

When people work closely together on a project they care about,

there is always a chance of tension caused by differing opinions

along the way. When people are brought together to work

through a common goal that is not directly tied to their results on

the job, it’s a chance to overcome challenges and start fresh when

they return to work. Again, they will come to see they can begin to

trust one another.



Silos Breaking Down

When cross-functional teams come together, it may take a while

to warm up to each other and the idea of collaborating. Silos must

go in order for a team to succeed! Experiential learning is the

perfect space for teams to unite and see they are all on the

same side.

Memories

In the heat of a project or task, sometimes collaboration can

break down. The desire to get the job done can lead to people

trailing off on their own. When common memories of success

(or failure!) are in the minds of the team, there is a better chance

they’ll recognize the signs of it in real life.

The Creation of a Common Language

In one of our experiences, Promises Promises!, when people

throw a “scandal” it’s equivalent to saying something negative to

someone or causing trouble. When people who experience this

go back to work and collaborate, if someone starts to do so, they

can use the common language to overcome the challenge and

continue their great work.

“Experiential learning is the perfect space for teams to unite and see they are all on

the same side.”


Partner with Eagle’s Flight to Build a More Collaborative Workforce

In today’s ultra-connected world, people are becoming increasingly aware that

collaboration is not optional. In fact, it’s paramount to the success of individuals,

leaders, teams, and the organization as a whole. Collaboration also leads to

improved engagement at work, better working relationships, and a more positive

company culture. What’s not to love about that?

To make it a reality, the individuals of an organization need to be trained with

the right skills to be effective collaborators. Communication, teamwork, and

problem-solving are just a few of the skills that will improve collaboration in your

organization. Experiential learning is your key to making that happen. With training

that covers a wide array of topics, Eagle’s Flight has a solution for every team

out there. We are passionate about helping organizations achieve this because

we know that the investment in a collaborative workforce that is innovative and

performs to its full potential, is one that pays off big in the long run.


CONNECT TODAY

Toll-Free North America: 1-800-567-8079 International: +1-519-767-1747 www.eaglesflight.comAsia Pacific: +65-6805-0668 Europe: +44-0-175-353-3010 South America: +55-11-3050-2210

Since our founding in 1988, Eagle’s Flight has developed and refined a framework

for creating predictable, sustainable behavior change. We specialize in experiential

learning and provide organizations with a better outcome by truly engaging the learner.

Successful organizational development programs require ongoing work, but this can

easily get lost in the shuffle of daily tasks that feel more urgent. Partnering with a

provider that has a strong track record of helping organizations achieve long-term

measurable change will help ensure that your development goals are met.

If you would like to learn more about what a partnership with Eagle’s Flight

could look like, contact us today.

https://www.eaglesflight.com/request-a-consultation

https://www.eaglesflight.com/contact-now

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References

1. Huff Eckert, Vicki. “Collaboration for Innovators: Why Technology Alone Isn’t Enough.” PWC. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/pwc-at-davos/blogs/2017/collaboration-for-innovation-why-

technology-alone-isnt-enough.html.

2. Goldstein, Joel. “Why Millennials Prefer Collaboration Over Competition.” February 16, 2016. Business 2 Community. https://www.business2community.com/leadership/millennials-prefer-

collaboration-competition-01456213.

3. “Top Employers are 5.5x More Likely to Reward Collaboration.” June 22, 2017. Institute for Corporate Productivity. https://www.i4cp.com/productivity-blog/top-employers-are-5-5x-more-likely-to-

reward-collaboration.

4. “Communicating in the Modern Workplace: How Millennials and Their Managers Compare.” Infographic. Queens University of Charlotte. https://online.queens.edu/online-programs/mba/resources/

infographic/communicating-in-the-workplace.

5. Carr, Priyanka, and Walton, Gregory. “Cues of Working Together Fuel Intrinsic Motivation.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Volume 53. July 2014. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/

article/pii/S0022103114000420?via%3Dihub.

6. Tsai, Yafang. “Relationship between Organizational Culture, Leadership Behavior and Job Satisfaction.” BMC Health Services Research 11 (2011). 26 June 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/

articles/PMC3123547/.

7. “2015 Global Operations Survey.” 2015. PWC. http://operationssurvey.pwc.com/key-findings/#emerging-practices.

8. “86 Percent of Employees Cite Lack of Collaboration for Workplace Failures.” May 4, 2011. Fierce, Inc. https://fierceinc.com/employees-cite-lack-of-collaboration-for-workplace-failures.

Documents

A Guide to Building a More Collaborative Workforce