Collaboration – The Key to Organizational Success

In 2016, collaboration is all set to drive profits and productivity like never before. Surely the key to organization success, collaboration is making managers take their projects to completion without much ado.
Still wondering about the role of collaboration with regards to project success? Well, a few decades ago, collaboration was just an essential component for placing organizations in front of the competition. However, in the current scenario, with technology, networking and project results blending together, the art of collaborating has become a critical milestone to success. Yes, collaboration is very much required - be it for SMEs or multi-billion dollar companies with strong global presence spanning diverse industries!
Collaboration and Project Results
Project goals and their benefits are generally related to smart associations with vendors, cross functions, and inter-company activities. Whether you are managing a retail business, or are the brain behind the strategies of a complex aerospace project, you need to value the role of collaboration to enjoy long-term success. Important for attaining dramatic improvements in project results, and the satisfaction levels of stakeholders (partners in supply chain, employees, etc. ) alike, proper collaboration with customers and suppliers leads to a win-win situation for all. It results in more lucrative cost structures, enhanced product performance, better products, and obviously, larger savings!
Collaborating with Flair - Key Success Factors
Be it your projects, sites, task processes, or just about anything else, you will like to place yourself in a more advantageous position with these key success factors that can be referred to as essential inputs for collaboration.
1. Give enough information
You are aware of the intricacies of your initiative; however, your partners (internal or external) may not have any clue about what you are talking about. Take a pause. Get everyone on the same page by providing all the relevant background information to make them understand what you want of them, why, and how. Ask questions if you are sitting on the other side of the table. It helps to know all relevant information before moving ahead.
2. Make sure you are being understood
Are you noted for rattling off at jet-speed without any respect for the rules of communication? This is one of the main deterrents to effective collaboration. Take a step back to note if your listeners are following what you have to say, or not. Encourage questions to ensure that your answers make good sense, and there’s no scope of confusion or ambiguity of any kind.
3. Create a solid framework
Are you looking for a reliable agency to work on a project together? Or, are you seeking good advice or inputs to move to the next stage of your initiative? Whatever the reason for collaborating, join the dots together and chalk out a plan that takes care of the overall purpose of coming together for mutual benefits. While you will have to go with the flow in some parts, you may offer trade-offs to force your way through (or find yourself on fair grounds) in others. At any given instance, the idea behind any future collaboration should relate to leveraging and building upon the strengths of others.
4. Objectives versus resources
Yet another way of collaborating is by comparing and collating available resources. While working on a single, or multiple projects, it’s obvious that you have certain internal / external resources to bank upon. Here, you need to assess your objectives and align them to the resources available with other team members or collaborating partners. Reach out to the skills and capabilities that are available with other stakeholders and optimize them for the overall success of your initiative. Whatever you do, ensure that your project plans are in perfect alignment with your resources and objectives.
Way Forward
Having emerged as a vital component of all kinds of projects, collaboration allows for a smooth flow of information and processes between facilities, branches, and the hierarchical levels of any enterprise. It paves the way for easy communication and helps partners cross any bridge without trying too hard.
Apart from impacting work operations internally, collaborating with externally placed vendors, business partners, bankers, consultants and other relevant parties in this global environment creates the platform for shared objectives and impressive business results. So, wait no longer and go ahead with your link-up plans to notch higher levels of success. Do you have any other inputs that you would like to share with us regarding your partnerships? We are listening!