We live in an age where the market is flooded with new and budding businesses working to make it big in the corporate world. With so much competition, companies need to step up their workplace morale, and one effective way to do that is to incorporate collaboration wherever possible.

It’s more than just teamwork…

It’s your ticket to long-term success!

What Is Collaboration?

Collaboration in the workplace can easily be described as “when two or more people work together through idea sharing and thinking to accomplish a task” and has been a long-standing foundation of corporate success.

The benefits of collaboration are staggering, however, it seems to be an area many corporations struggle to implement successfully. In fact, research has shown that nearly 75% of employers view collaboration in the workplace as an important aspect of success, but often fail to implement it effectively and review its effectiveness within their organization.

With so few companies following through with collaborative environments, the ones that do truly stand apart and will retain their employees much longer than those that don’t offer collaborative opportunities.

Why Is Collaborating In The Workplace Important?

As an employee health benefit and human resource provider, Gusto discovered that 52% of individuals who took their Employee Happiness Survey would consider quitting their job if collaboration – and the sense of community that comes along with it – was missing from their work environment. Additionally, a survey done by Queens University in Charlotte, found that 39% of the employees felt their workplace didn’t offer enough collaboration.

By not evolving your company to include collaboration in a way that works, you’ll be looking at an alarmingly high turnover rate, and spending an unnecessary amount on retraining new employees to fill those spots on a regular basis.

A study that was completed by Salesforce involved a total of 1400 executives and found that 86% felt there was a direct correlation between project failure and a lack of collaboration.

The missing component of collaboration causes both higher turnover rates AND creates lower rates of project quality (or even project completion) altogether!

Collaborating In The Workplace Benefits Both The Business And The Employees

There have been many studies that have looked at the outcomes of collaboration in the workplace, and it’s been proven time and time again that successful implementation has staggering benefits not only to your business but for your employees as well.

In a study done by Saïd Business School of Oxford University, it was determined that when employees are happy, they become 13% more productive, while a survey by WeWork and Ipsos found that individuals who had collaborative team opportunities were of the most satisfied group of employees and felt it was the best way to boost their careers. By creating a work environment where your employees are provided with a collaborative team to help pull the weight of projects, you allow them to apply their efforts to their areas of strength without the concern of falling short in the rest of the project.

When employees begin working as a team, they’ll build essential skills (such as problem-solving and creativity) that can be created more powerfully through collaboration with others. These skills continue to be developed via the environment the employee is in and more often, the people they are working with, as they will be exposed to a variety of skill sets and experiences.

What Does Collaboration Look Like In The Workplace?

There are 4 main ways you can tell if collaboration is present within a workplace, and they’re a great way to determine if your workplace is implementing collaboration effectively.

1. Communication

Communication is key in any work environment, but when it comes to collaboration, communication becomes non-negotiable. It’s paramount when working in a team.

Communication has a variety of aspects that need to work in harmony if a team is going to find success. These include active listening, written and verbal communication, and non-verbal communication. These all play a vital role in how a member’s message is heard when sharing with the group, and it influences how the team will respond in kind.

When working as a team, it’s imperative that each member is able to communicate effectively in a way that will not only make them feel heard and understood but also allow them to feel confident in sharing their ideas for team consideration.

If communication is lacking, it can have a ripple effect on the entire morale of the team. In a survey completed by Accountemps, they found that 33% of HR managers felt most morale problems were directly related to a breakdown of communication among employees, clearly depicting the importance of communications skills within a team environment.

Any strong team will possess communications skills that are unparalleled, and use them to work cohesively and respectfully with one another.

2. Accountability

When working as a team, accountability can create incredible results…or be devastating for the team’s outcome. The role it will play is inherently up to those members in the team, the standards of the leaders, and the trust they have in one another.

If members struggle to take responsibility for their assigned portion or fail to communicate effectively during essential meetings, it can create an environment where the project will suffer and each team member will begin only taking themselves into consideration. It becomes less of a team atmosphere and more competition amongst each other…which doesn’t bode well for the project they’re sharing.

However, more often than not, teams will develop a deep-rooted trust for one another and become even more engaged with their portion of the project. By working in a collaborative environment, team members have a higher level of engagement in large part due to their respect for their team and knowing their contributions will be a reflection on the team as a whole, and will directly affect the other members. Many people will work harder to produce a high standard of work when it directly relates to others as well.

How accountability influences your company’s collaborative teams rests in how it is introduced and guided from within.

3. Diversity

Diversity is one of the most important factors when considering the members of the collaborative team. It fosters a healthy, well-rounded knowledge base and allows for a variety of skill sets for the team.

In a recent post by Forbes, they shared their companies outlook in regards to collaboration, stating “we employ a cross-section of people of different generations and experience levels, we encourage multiple points of view to be expressed without judgement and stress the importance of teamwork.”

Only certain people can bring certain aspects to a team, making diversity the only way to ensure you have a team that can bring high calibre projects home that honor the differences individuals experience. In an interview with Salesforce, Elaine Welteroth, the first Black beauty and health director at Teen Vogue said of leaders that “while you, as an individual, do not need to reflect the diversity of the world and you won’t deeply understand the complex issues facing every kind of community – it is your responsibility to hire for your blind spots by making sure your team is reflective of the world.”

Creating your team with intention, and allowing space for a diverse set of outlooks and experiences will help shape the final product of any project.

4. Appreciation

Employee appreciation is becoming more and more important in the workforce. People want to know their work is being noticed, and they want reassurance that what they’re doing is great. Without that, companies risk an increased turnover rate in employees or a decrease in productivity and quality of work.

Based on a 10 year study, the O.C. Tanner Learning Group found that of all employees who quit their jobs, 79% listed the key reason for their departure as a lack of appreciation, and 65% reported that over the last year, they weren’t recognized by their company once.

These stats give us a very clear insight into the importance appreciation plays in the workplace. When employees feel their efforts won’t be noticed, they feel as if their work (and inherently themselves) aren’t valuable members. Simple acts of appreciation can create a healthier, happier work environment for all.

The 5 Pillars to Creating Successful Collaboration

1. Team Building

In our recent blog 7 Super-Effective Ways to Boost Employee Morale, we discussed the importance of team building and the positive effects it can have on your company. By creating an environment where your employees are working together towards a common goal, you are effectively removing the pressure from your employees to create something amazing on their own. When you allow them the opportunity to work to their strengths, while other members of the team complete the other aspects that are more well suited to their abilities, each member of the team will enjoy their jobs more and provide them with the opportunity to produce a higher caliber of work.

According to British Council’s Business Magazine, “working together as a team allows people to achieve things that could never be done by just one person…people who are collaborating on tasks stay interested for longer, feel less tired and get better results than people working alone.”

2. Communication Development

In a survey done by Queens University of Charlotte, they found that communication training was provided to 27% of participants, and it was nearly only those individuals who felt confident in their communication abilities at work.

The development of communication skills is essential for all teams, as it will set the foundation for how they navigate their professional relationship and their ability to collaborate together successfully. Communication is at the base of every team, and developing their ability to do so effectively will set them up for success, and also create a work environment that is comfortable and respectful for each member.

3. Small Project Groups

Research has shown that when a team grows beyond 20 members, there is a clear regression in collaboration. This naturally occurs when so many lines of communication are open at once for a single project. With too many various ideas and opinions, it’s hard to settle on a common direction for the project.

Smaller teams can get more in-depth and create a clear line of communication, allowing every member’s ideas to be heard and considered. This fosters a more intimate work environment, allowing the team to dive deeper into the project and provides an atmosphere where members can work to their own personal strengths and come together to review and revise to create a cohesive outcome that is hard to beat.

4. Clear Communication of Expectations

No team can thrive without a clear list of expectations. By knowing the exact outcome a team is looking for, they can work backwards from it and create a roadmap for the members to navigate in respect to their position in the project.

A clear list of expectations minimizes confusion throughout the timeline of the project, and can mitigate any disagreements between team members as they arise by referencing the expectations document that was agreed upon at the start of the project.

Having clear communication is essential in helping each member understand their role and the common outcome, so they can create a final product that flows seamlessly together.

5. Judgement-Free Idea Sharing

In a workplace equality and values report by Salesforce, they discovered that “employees are more productive when they feel they belong, are heard, and are able to be their authentic self at work” stating that from their survey they found 75% of employees who felt a sense of belonging at their company were empowered to perform their best work.

Being able to speak freely and respectfully, while knowing your team will listen and respond in kind, greatly increases the number of ideas provided and is directly related to the quality of work that can be created by each team member, while fostering a healthy and enjoyable work atmosphere for the team.

Creating an environment where employees have the freedom to share ideas without concern for judgement, provides a workplace culture where idea sharing begins to thrive and produce higher quality work.

An added benefit is that brainstorming with others opens the mind to perspectives that may not have been considered before and could not have been without first being exposed to it via another member of the team. It teaches each member of the team new ways to think when presented with future problems, making it easy to surpass previous project goals and aim higher.

Regular meetings play a large part in how a team comes together to problem-solve, appreciate one another’s contributions, and make aligned decisions.

However, if a meeting is not run well, it can have lasting effects on employee motivation and productivity.

As leaders of these meetings, it’s important to understand what causes bad meetings, the long-term effects it can have on everyone involved, and how to expertly conduct the discussion in a way that saves time and boosts morale.

What Are The Causes of a Bad Meeting?

When a team has an unproductive meeting, everyone in the room can feel it. The energy is low. Not everyone is engaged or interested in contributing meaningfully to the discussion. And as a result, it’s unclear whether the group came to a resolution. There are a number of reasons why meetings can become ineffective and a drain on valuable time and energy. According to SHRM.org, here are the most common meeting problems for employees.

• Starting or ending late – Starting a meeting late, or ending well after the allotted time, can set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Most people leave the conversation feeling like their time wasn’t respected.
• Unnecessary meetings – These are the meetings that could have been handled in an email or in separate conversations with the right people instead of unnecessarily pulling together the entire team.
• Too much time, not enough time – Understanding the purpose of the meeting is important in deciding how much time is needed to get efficient results.
• Employees appear distracted – This is a sign that some members of the team are not being engaged enough by the conductor of the meeting and are openly distracted by whatever else is around them.
• Employees interrupt each other – These are behaviors as a result of a poorly run meeting that eventually leads to tense arguments and awkward silences.
• Not sticking to an agenda or no agenda – A disorganized meeting makes everyone question the very purpose behind the conversation and why they’re even included in the first place.
• Employee/Facilitator not prepared – This makes a meeting appear sloppy, hastily put together, and unimportant.

What Are The Consequences of a Poorly Run Meeting?

Running an effective meeting means more than just keeping people focused on the topic. It’s about fostering the growth of an employee so they can fully step into their role and feel like a valued member of the team. Ultimately, it’s a key piece of the company’s culture.

But if the group is not set up for success, having consistently bad meetings can produce consequences that affect the individual, team, and even leadership.

Let’s take a look at the consequences of badly run meetings:

• Less time devoted to important tasks – More time is spent being in meetings rather than on actual work tasks, which can create a backlog on critical assignments.
• Disrupts workflow and concentration – Unnecessary meetings can break concentration and reduce productivity as a result of constant task switching. In fact, Meeting Recovery Syndrome refers to the period that employees need to mentally recover from a bad meeting.
• Increases burnout and frustration– Back-to-back meetings — especially with most of the world transitioning to a largely remote capacity — can lead to increased stress and exhaustion amongst participants, especially if the goals of the meetings are unclear and remain unresolved (Source: CNBC.com).
• Reveals dysfunction – Bad meetings can be a symptom of deeper issues within the company and its culture as it can be made abundantly clear who is doing more, who is doing less, etc. which creates feelings of resentment amongst the staff (Source: Forbes).
• Wastes money – On average, the U.S. spends about $37 billion on salary costs for unnecessary meetings (Source: Atlassian.com). This affects a company’s bottom line and its ability to have continued success.

7 Ways To Improve the Way We Run Our Meetings

Now that we understand how poorly run meetings can have a major impact on a company’s culture, work output, and employee morale, let’s dive into some of the most compelling methods that can help turn a bad meeting into one that engages and motivates.

Tip #1 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Know The Purpose of Your Meeting

A meeting has to have a single objective in mind, and the way towards this destination must be clear for everyone who is expected to contribute to the discussion. One of the best ways to plan a meeting is to first understand the difference between a meeting’s topic vs. its purpose.

According to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a topic is defined as “the subject of a discourse.” Whereas the definition of a purpose is “something set up as an object or end to be attained.”

So, when we apply this to our internal meetings, we need to identify:

• What is the topic of discussion? For example, “Weekly check-in meeting” or “Discuss new workflow process.” As topics, these titles work just fine, but for the purpose of the meeting, they’re considerably vague. Your team is going to want more detail than just the name of the topic in order to be better prepared.
• What is the purpose of the meeting? The more specific we are with the end goal, the easier it will be to form an effective agenda. Using our prior example with “weekly check-in meetings”, the purpose of these particular meetings would be to come up with resolutions for each identified problem that employees find during the workweek.

Tip #2 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Remove Ambiguity

63% of meetings are still conducted without an agenda (Source: ReadyTalk.com). This means that most people come unprepared to their meetings and are unable to participate effectively. In order to run an efficient meeting, create a plan that paves the path towards the end goal. Putting together an agenda is a great way to set expectations and provides an opportunity to get ready for the discussion in advance.

According to the HR Daily Advisor, an agenda is critical for meetings as it avoids being an extra cost to a company’s resources when participants show up unprepared.

Agendas are beneficial for a few other key reasons:

• Saves valuable time
• Keeps everyone focused
• Gets the right people in the room
• Increases productivity
• Reminds the conductor of what else needs to be covered with the team

If the agenda is framed in questions, this could help zero in on who really needs to be there and what answers are needed.

After an agenda is created, circulate the materials a few days before the meeting to all the relevant individuals who are considered mandatory participants. Give them ample time to review the contents and ask any clarifying questions. This will also give the key players time to contribute to the agenda, leading to well-rounded and thoughtful talking points.

Tip #3 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Assign roles

Everyone should have a role. Not only does this ensure that everyone is actively engaged, but it also improves the dynamic of the meeting so that the entire team can get through the agenda in a timely manner.

There are four critical roles that should be present in every meeting:

• The Timekeeper – In this role, the Timekeeper will make sure that each action item is discussed within an allotted amount of time to keep the meeting going at a good pace. The leader of the meeting may be too busy facilitating to keep track of time.
• The Notetaker – Someone on the team should be dedicated to taking notes so that everyone can contribute without having to worry about missing any crucial details. Any conclusions or next steps as a result of the discussion will be routed to everyone at the end.
• The Participant(s) – These are the individuals presenting their expertise on the subject and any important insights that help the team arrive at a decision.
• The Leader – The leader is the facilitator and ensures that everyone is heard and has had a chance to speak and voice their thoughts. This role will also reiterate key points and conclude the meeting with clear next steps.

In order to get a better picture of how to run the meeting and get the best outcome, it’s important to know your team and their individual strengths.

Tip #4 To Run a meeting Effectively: Be a Good Host and Lead With Purpose

Because meetings are such an integral part of the workplace — on average 62 meetings are attended per month by most employees — it’s no wonder that bad meetings can have a significant impact on employee morale! (Source: Atlassian.com)

We strive to nurture an employee culture of compassion, respect, and honesty, yet we also want to cultivate a high-performing team that is solution-focused. This means that the way we run meetings must also reflect these values.

As the facilitator of the meeting, it’s your job to help everyone feel welcomed and appreciated from the beginning.

Once you have created an encouraging atmosphere, you can then establish clear rules and expectations for the rest of the meeting:

• State the purpose
• Do a quick, high-level overview of the agenda
• Be clear with the outcome that needs to be achieved
• Address how questions will be answered (whether that’d be at the end or throughout the meeting)

It’s also important to keep in mind that “COVID fatigue” has affected a large amount of the workforce. Virtual meetings have increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic. And as many companies consider a full transition into a fully virtual or hybrid workforce, “Zoom fatigue” can be a real issue as more people are left feeling even more exhausted and irritated than ever before.

Running a meeting during a pandemic means understanding that the participants will be experiencing a heavier cognitive load, according to Stanford News. They’ll be occupied with things that are normally absent during in-person meetings:

• Focusing on what they look like while they video conference
• Making more effort with nonverbal cues to communicate that you agree/disagree with something
• Misinterpreting nonverbal cues
• Staying in the same spot so that they’re centered in the video frame
• Trouble identifying where to look on the screen

While we still have many challenges to tackle when it comes to our virtual meetings, we can use this as an opportunity to practice leading with compassion and keeping the meetings concise.

Tip #5 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Make Timekeeping a Priority.

Start and end a meeting on time. Every meeting may have a few stragglers, but that doesn’t mean the meeting should be held until they arrive or waste precious time trying to catch everyone up on what they’ve missed.

This can be detrimental to the productivity of the group as it’s already off to a bad start or needs to be constantly interrupted.

Instead, plan to dedicate the first few minutes to an activity such as an ice-breaker or informal check-in so that everyone has a chance to speak and loosen up before they dive into the essence of the agenda. This will also provide a window for late-comers to settle in without missing vital information.

To save time as the meeting progresses, any off-topic items or questions that come up can be sidelined. Acknowledge that it’s an essential point to go over and will be evaluated for discussion at the next meeting.

End the meeting at its scheduled time by letting everyone know that you want to respect the time they reserved for this discussion and recap any conclusions. If you can even end the meeting early, the better!

Tip #6 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Conclude With Next Steps or a Clear Decision

As the meeting draws to a close, it’s important to open up the floor to the team:

• How is everyone feeling about the resolution or proposed next steps?
• Do they have any final questions or comments?

More than 35% of employees feel like they have nothing to show after wasting at least 2 to 5 hours in meetings per day, according to Otter.ai.

Use the last few minutes of the meeting as a way to optimize the entire time by clarifying key takeaways, responsibilities, action items, and what will follow afterward.

The goal is to have the team leave the meeting feeling accomplished and clear on the next steps.

Tip #7 To Run a Meeting Effectively: Evaluate Meetings

Gathering feedback on meetings is another way to intentionally include your team and gain valuable insight into how they’re going.

This is an opportunity to get a temperature check on what’s going well, what isn’t working, and what could be improved to fix any gaps in communication. The key here is to not take any criticism personally. It’s not a reflection of your abilities as a host or as a leader.

Based on their thoughts, you can then try new and creative ways of engaging the team, being clearer with your expectations, and refining your methods to run efficient meetings.