The recent New York Times article in which Amazon is depicted as win-at-all costs organization that encourages fierce competition among employees has drawn plenty of attention.
Amazon is a visible target with many critics, as well as fans. One employee who worked there for nine years repeated a saying from around campus: “Amazon is where overachievers go to feel bad about themselves.”
I don’t buy into a “win-at-all-costs” approach to achieving life and business success. Fostering true collaboration in the workplace happens when employees have complete trust in their managers and colleagues and feel supported in their jobs. Forced collaboration and shared thinking driven by the real possibility that one will not have a job within in an organization one month from now is counterproductive and bad for employees, managers and the organization. Managing by positive reinforcement versus managing by fear wins in the long term, and more managers need to lead as such.
What helps to build a “collaborative” organization?
A study by the Harvard Business Review showed that collaboration was the result of many skills: “…appreciating others, being able to engage in purposeful conversations, productively and creatively resolving conflicts and program management.” Employees trained in those areas can make a difference in team performance.
Many metaphors apply to every leader’s need to set the stage for his or her company’s success by bringing out the best in each team member. “Many hands make light work” is one of my favourites. This means that team members trust and support each other in combining their skills to get the job done.
Here are four tips on how leaders can nurture collaboration among team members, regardless of the company’s size or industry.
#1: Ensure employees understand and share the organization’s key goals through clear communication.
Companies with highly effective internal communications had 47% higher total returns to shareholders over the past five years than those with weak internal communications. And 96% of executives point to lack of collaboration and inefficient communication as the primary cause of workplace failure.
This fact was confirmed during my experience as a communications consultant to a Canadian Schedule A Bank who realized its goal of selling more products and services to current and prospective customers by a adopting a retail approach to marketing its products and services. This cultural shift essentially asked front line employees to stop being order takers and become retailers. They were asked to refer their customers to colleagues within the bank who could better fulfill their needs and to share the wealth (and glory) of working with clients who they saw as their own. Management did a great job in communicating its goal to become, “Canada’s Number One Financial Retailer” by recognizing the efforts of teams and individual employees who provided exemplary customer services and got the results that made the initiative a success.
Clear communication, supported by team meetings featuring strong visual as well as spoken communication, forms the foundation that brings employees together. When management clearly communicates an organization’s goals, employees are more inclined to join the conversation.
Communication from the top need not be all business-related. Bill Marriott, chair of the iconic hotel chain that bears his name and remains a family business, encourages the sharing of his birthday celebration across the chain to inject personality and warmth into the business day and emphasize the firm’s culture and values. He writes an employee blog that examines everything from the chain’s environmental programs to his family’s favourite holiday destinations for the same reason.
#2: Promote from within.
This is a powerful motivational tool that demonstrates management’s faith in employees’ ability to grow into a role and lead others to the same skill level. Assuming the promoted employee is respected and is technically and emotionally equipped to take on more responsibility, others will usually support him or her. Management needs to be mindful of the feelings of those who aren’t as readily promotable by encouraging their ideas as part of the collaborative culture built on trust as well as results.
Mentoring can be key to encouraging and equipping employees to advance and enhance their contribution to the company. When a manager or more experienced employee spends time on a scheduled basis with another employee, trust between the two grows and more pre-existing or “heritage relationships” are formed. These are known to increase a project’s chances for success. Mentors are seen by mentees as role models of cooperation and positive feelings are shared across the company.
#3: Acknowledge team and individual efforts.
Many employees are motivated by being recognized by management for their contributions to the company’s success. This comes not only in the form of salary increases and bonuses but in adopting an employee’s idea or ideas into the daily operation of the business. Recognizing employees’ individual successes is a proven way to encourage greater collaboration and informal community building. These successes don’t arise from micromanaging employees but by encouraging independent thought that is consistent within the culture and goals of the organization. When employees see others gain recognition, they are motivated to seek the same.
#4: Look to technology to advance collaboration.
Collaboration in the workplace can be enhanced in new ways. For example, technology is effective in bringing teams together who may work apart. The world’s mobile workforce is estimated to total 1.3 billion people, which represents 37.2% of the total workforce. And 89% of people work with others who they have never seen. The effective use of cloud-based strategies is a proven way to manage information and drive business results. It clearly reflects the new business environment. Managers would be wise to consider developing a technological solution in concert with more traditional communications strategies.
Research has confirmed that the most productive, innovative teams are led by managers and others who were both task and relationship -oriented. Both skills are critical to building collaborative organizations that see value in nurturing emotional intelligence and technical excellence.
This article was originally posted on LinkedIn.