In today’s world, it’s easier to communicate with anyone than ever before.
However, just because you are communicating doesn’t mean you are collaborating.
Every day, we get new methods or improvements to technology that improve our communication. But what do we really get from it?
When we say ‘collaboration’, what does it really mean?
Can we say that having meetings, sending emails, talking on the phone is collaboration?
Well, no.
That’s just communication.
Collaboration is essential in any business, for many reasons. It can be between the owner and their employees, partners, or the customers. It’s where two or more parties work with each other to get mutual benefits or to obtain the same goals.
Just some of the things collaboration assists with include:
1. Improves Problem-Solving
“Two heads are better than one.”
Think of the last time you had a difficult problem at work. When you try to solve it alone, it takes a lot of your time and effort.
Sometimes, you can’t solve it by yourself and you end up being frustrated and stressed. However, if you ask for help from a colleague, a mentor or a business coach, you’ll get a new perspective on how to solve the problem.
Usually, it even ends up being something that is way better than what you could have expected.
2. Improves Work Efficiency
“Divide and conquer.”
Since you are collaborating with your colleagues at work, you will be able to complete projects more efficiently and quickly.
As I’ve mentioned, collaboration is working together to obtain the same goal. It doesn’t mean that you have to work on the same task. It’s more like working on the small different parts of a whole.
This is better since you can distribute tasks to team members who have the expertise on such task, thus you can be sure that they will be more effective.
Another adage that is applicable for this is “there’s power in numbers”.
It’s why you have teams in your business because people working together accomplish more than when they are working alone.
Keep in mind though, that collaboration is more than just sharing resources and talent, it’s actually using and leveraging that talent and those resources to reach your goal.
3. Inspiring
When you get busy at work, you can often end up using the same method you have from years ago. You forget that there may be better and more efficient ways to do things.
Yes, you can read articles or watch videos to gather more information, but if you are not sharing or discussing it with other people, the benefits you’ll have will be limited.
It’s important to share what you have learnt and to gain more information where you can. Try to gain a new perspective from other people who share the same interest you have.
This is also a good way for you to grow your network. You’ll never improve if you only talk and collaborate with the same people over and over again.
4. Hearing From the Customers
Collaborating with customers gives you more than just one benefit. It helps you increase your awareness as to what your customers really want.
It also gives your engagement a boost because you’re not just putting words in front of them, but you are actually hearing out what they have to say about your products and services. This lets you improve what you’re offering.
Since you keep on ‘conversing’ with your customers, they’ll see you as a friend that they can be loyal to, rather than just somebody who wants to sell them something. Remember, customers buy from a person they like, know and trust. Soon enough, you’ll see them promoting you to others, increasing the chance of having more customers, thus increasing your revenue.
5. Measuring What Matters
Here’s one important quote in business, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”
So imagine having a marketing method that you can’t really measure. You will not be able to improve it and you get left behind by other companies who adapted to change and improved.
With the use of collaborative CRM platforms, you will be able to determine a measurable ROI.
Take note though, that even if you have such tool, if not used properly, it will still be ineffective.
6. To Learn
Lastly, collaborating creates a learning environment at work.
Actually, collaboration creates an opportunity to learn every time you interact with someone, usually a person outside of your usual circle.
If you are open to getting out of your comfort zone, you’ll definitely grow and learn to optimize your business. And usually, it’s better to collaborate with somebody else who has a different set of skills or perspective than you.
Collaboration makes everything better. It makes your employees more productive, it benefits you and your customers, it grows your business. There’s less stress, allowing for an overall happier environment. So, don’t just communicate with your employees, customers, and partners… collaborate with them and get things done!
