Knowing how to collaborate is an essential element in developing high-performance, committed teams. Indeed, when team members collaborate effectively, they can leverage their individual and collective skills to better work together towards common goals and achieve outstanding results. In this article, we'll give you the keys to a better understanding of how to collaborate, so that you can start improving your collective effectiveness on a daily basis. 

Collaboration: challenges and impacts 

Professional collaboration is more than just cooperation within a team. It encompasses a set of skills and practices that promote the collective success of projects. Collaborating well together includes : 

1. Effective communication : this means being able to convey ideas clearly, concisely and to the point, while actively listening to others and expressing one's own ideas respectfully and empathetically.
2. Managing tension and stress: this is a crucial aspect of professional collaboration. Teams can often be confronted with conflict and pressure, whether due to differences of opinion, tight deadlines or diverging priorities. Managing these tensions constructively, by remaining calm and finding creative solutions, is essential to maintaining a positive and productive working climate.
3. Maintaining team cohesion over the long term: this involves developing a sense of belonging and solidarity within the team, where everyone feels motivated to contribute actively and support other members. Strengthening team cohesion involves bonding activities, recognizing individual and collective contributions, and maintaining a climate of trust and mutual support.

By cultivating these skills, teams can achieve high performance and create a fulfilling work environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

Synchronous and asynchronous collaboration

Knowing how to work well together implies the ability to work effectively not only face-to-face, but also remotely. Mastering asynchronous and synchronous modes of communication is essential in this context. Indeed, while face-to-face collaboration favors direct and instantaneous exchanges, remote collaboration often requires the use of virtual communication tools such as e-mail, instant messaging or videoconferencing platforms. A good command of both modes of communication enables teams to collaborate effectively, regardless of their geographical location.

Synchronous communication

In any efficient and caring work environment, synchronous communication is essential. It is through this form of real-time communication that teams coordinate their actions, exchange ideas and make decisions. Here are a few key principles to ensure effective communication:

• Practice active listening : during synchronous exchanges, pay close attention to the speakers. Avoid interruptions and take the time to fully understand the points of view expressed. This attentive listening promotes mutual understanding and strengthens team bonds.
• Opt for clarity and conciseness: real-time communication requires clear, direct expression. Avoid complex terms and keep your messages simple and understandable. Clear communication reduces the risk of misunderstandings and facilitates effective decision-making.
• Respect differing opinions: in any synchronous exchange, it's essential to recognize the value of different perspectives. Prefer a climate of trust where everyone feels free to express their ideas without fear of judgment. Mutual respect encourages constructive and creative collaboration.
• Take an active part in discussions: engage fully in exchanges by asking pertinent questions and sharing your ideas. Active participation stimulates collective thinking and encourages the emergence of innovative solutions. It also reinforces the sense of belonging to the team.
• Master synchronous communication tools : whether it's videoconferencing meetings, instant chats or phone calls, make sure you've mastered the synchronous communication tools used by your team. Efficient use of these tools guarantees smooth, productive exchanges.
• Plan and follow up: before each synchronous exchange, take the time to plan the agenda and the objectives to be achieved. After the meeting, be sure to record the decisions made and tasks assigned. This rigorous planning and follow-up of exchanges helps to keep the team on track and on target.

By following these principles, synchronous communication becomes a real lever for collaboration, promoting efficiency and cohesion within the team.

Asynchronous communication

The use of other communication tools, such as recorded team meetings and audio messages, can considerably enrich remote professional interactions and the collaborative work that ensues. 

• Video recordings, made using platforms such as Loom or Teams, enable a visual history of meetings to be kept, making it easier to review discussions and share information. These recordings are particularly useful for documenting brainstorming sessions or complex presentations, providing a valuable reference for team members.
• The use of audio messages offers an effective alternative to written communication, enabling information to be conveyed in a more nuanced and personal way. Whether to share spontaneous ideas, provide quick and constructive feedback, or simply express feelings, audio messages add a human dimension to professional exchanges.
• Shared documents or discussion threads maintain a constant flow of communication, enabling better coordination and detailed documentation of decisions taken. Team members can contribute at any time and follow the progress of discussions at their own pace.

By fostering these alternative communication practices and favoring ongoing conversation, teams can overcome the challenges of distance and significantly strengthen their collaboration.

Working remotely

In the context of remote collaboration, the balance between transparency and trust is of paramount importance. Establishing open and frank communication between team members is central to ensuring that everyone is in harmony with each other. Sharing priorities and concerns ensures that employees forge a strong bond, without the constant fear of over-supervision. Not only does this practice encourage self-expression, it also promotes the alignment of efforts towards common goals, thus stimulating innovation and the collaborative resolution of challenges specific to remote collaboration.

Focus on transparency

Sharing priorities and questions within a team creates an environment conducive to open and transparent communication, while avoiding the feeling of being under surveillance. This practice encourages each member to freely express his or her concerns, objectives and points of view, without fear of being excessively monitored or judged. By sharing their priorities, employees can align their efforts and resources with common objectives, which encourages the implementation of new strategies and the resolution of problems encountered.

By eliminating the perceived risk of constant monitoring, team members feel more confident to share their ideas and ask pertinent questions. This creates a climate of trust and mutual respect, where interactions are guided by a desire to progress together.

What's more, by encouraging such open dialogue, managers and colleagues demonstrate their commitment to everyone's well-being and professional development. Rather than focusing on the control of individual activities, this approach emphasizes collaboration and the achievement of common goals, which strengthens the sense of belonging to the team and the motivation of team members to contribute.

Share your calendar

The adoption of a transparent agenda within a team represents much more than a simple coordination tool, it becomes a facilitator. It enables you to : 

• Create a working environment where communication flows smoothly and everyone can organize their time efficiently, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. By openly sharing their schedules and availabilities, team members can easily identify the best times to schedule meetings or collaborations, avoiding scheduling conflicts and wasting time making tedious appointments. This transparency also promotes a better understanding of respective workloads, enabling tasks to be distributed fairly and priorities to be managed more effectively.
• Reinforcing mutual respect: by taking into account everyone's personal and professional constraints, team members demonstrate the consideration and empathy essential to maintaining a harmonious work environment. This approach also promotes the well-being of individuals by offering them the opportunity to reconcile their professional commitments with their personal needs, which can reduce stress and foster job satisfaction.
• Embodying corporate values and culture: in fine, the transparent agenda is much more than a simple logistical tool: it embodies the values of collaboration, respect and balance that are essential to the success and well-being of teams. This becomes a necessity when it comes to hybrid collaboration.

Learning to work better together

To meet this growing demand, a multitude of training methods are now available, ranging from online platforms to practical in-company workshops. These resources offer unique opportunities to strengthen teamwork skills and foster open, transparent communication.

1. Online training: platforms such as Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy and others offer courses specifically focused on collaboration and teamwork. These courses can cover a variety of topics, from interpersonal communication to project management to conflict resolution.
2. Books and online resources: many books and articles are available on the subject of collaboration. From time-honored classics like Roger Fisher and William Ury's "Getting to Yes" to more recent resources on team dynamics and social psychology, there's an abundance of material to deepen your understanding of collaboration.
3. Workshops and seminars: taking part in collaboration workshops or seminars can offer a practical and interactive experience. These events are often led by experts in the field, and enable participants to exchange ideas and practice skills in real time.
4. In-house training: many companies offer in-house training courses on collaboration and teamwork. These courses can be customized to meet the organization's specific needs, and include practical exercises adapted to the company's culture. They enable rapid and effective collective application to work directly on behaviors. 
5. Mentoring: working with a mentor who has proven experience in collaboration can be extremely valuable. A mentor can provide personalized advice, share knowledge and offer guidance based on real-life experience.
6. Practical experience: finally, the best way to develop collaborative skills is often to put them into practice in real-life situations. Whether it's working on team projects, participating in community initiatives or getting involved in clubs and organizations, hands-on experience is essential to building collaborative skills.

The NUMA Hybrid Collaboration course offers a practical, real-world approach to improving your managers' collaborative skills. By focusing on the effective use of communication tools, transparency and agenda coordination, this course aims to strengthen collaboration within teams.

Ultimately, knowing how to work together is essential to developing high-performance, committed teams. By working together, team members can combine their skills and ideas, overcome obstacles and innovate creatively. This fosters a positive work environment, reinforces a sense of belonging, and improves job satisfaction, leading to greater involvement and overall productivity. In short, collaboration is key to the long-term success of teams in all fields.

To find out more about our approach and how we structure our training courses, click here.