How To Improve Collaboration in the Workplace

We all know that teamwork is an important part of a successful workplace. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or working in a large corporation, collaboration is essential for many aspects of work.

So, what makes collaboration important within the workplace? We'll outline why teamwork is more vital than ever in our ever-changing remote world. And, how activities like team challenges can impact your company culture and improve business.

Contents:

Why is Teamwork More Important Than Ever?

How Team Challenges Create Positive Impact?

How to Create a Team Challenge For Your Workplace?

Why is Teamwork More Important Than Ever?

The origins of work as we know it today came from the idea of labour division, or teamwork (1). Teamwork allows people to split tasks to complete a common goal and dividing work based on skillsets leads to more efficient work. It also helps improve productivity, profitability and reduce costs (1).

When we fast-forward to our digital, more remote work style, we see some employees feeling disconnected and isolated. The lack of in-person collaboration can leave people feeling less motivated and engaged in their work (2). But this can also happen with office-based environments too.

Managers and team leaders must take note of how their teams are working and create a culture of collaboration. Why? This helps people feel connected to their work, creates healthy competition and promotes strong working relationships (1). 

So how do you put this into action? One of the best ways to improve teamwork in the workplace and see the benefits of peer collaboration is through team challenges!

How Team Challenges Create Positive Impact?

What Are Team Challenges? + Examples

Team challenges can be achieved remotely or in person and applied to small teams or large groups.

Examples of team challenges that you can use for your workplace are things like; cook-offs, puzzles, murder mystery games or raising money for charity.

At Each Person, we did a step challenge which focused on helping people with their daily activity level and working towards a common goal - and a prize!

Team challenges will vary depending on your organisation, the size of the team and what you’d like to improve. Choosing a challenge that suits your company and gets everyone on board can create a positive impact within your company culture and beyond.

How Team Challenges Create Positive Impact?

Team challenges help cultivate a sense of community and morale, helping people to work better in achieving a shared goal. It can help people generate new ways to learn and communicate with each other which impacts the strength of collaboration within the workplace (3).

How to Create a Team Challenge For Your Workplace?

At Each Person, the step challenge meant everyone got to work together to achieve a certain amount of weekly steps for a whole month. Using a shared tracking sheet, team members worked together to get their steps in to win a team social as the prize.

Our Ecommerce assistant Bethan, said "prior to working at Each Person I had had more physical jobs that allowed me to be on my feet all day, so starting in an office was a bit of a lifestyle adjustment! Having challenges in the workplace has got me moving again and given me the drive to start more personal challenges too”.

Becki our Customer Success Manager enjoyed the step challenge too. She said “It was great watching our tracking sheet and seeing how we were getting closer and closer to target. It also gave some great variation to the office days too as everyone went out on walks together at lunch and fought over time on the office treadmill! It felt great all of us working towards a goal and the end prize was totally worth it".

We know how impactful workplace collaboration is for us at Each Person. We live and breathe our company values showing our clients what we are all about. So if your organisation is ready to enhance its company culture, improve workplace relationships and generate higher productivity, it’s time to get in touch.

At Each Person, we offer a unique platform that helps your business connect with its teams in a genuine and effective way. To learn more about how we can help you, email support@eachperson.com.

Written by Ellie Pinder, published June 2023

Sources:

1. Bright HR - The importance of teamwork - https://www.brighthr.com/articles/culture-and-performance/teamwork/the-importance-of-teamwork-in-the-workplace/ 
2. Lifesize -  Remote Teamwork: How to Productively Work Together When You’re Not Together - https://www.lifesize.com/blog/remote-teamwork/#:~:text=To%20build%20a%20strong%20remote,them%20on%20a%20personal%20level. 
3. Gallup -  How to Improve Teamwork and Collaboration in the Workplace - https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/278225/how-to-improve-teamwork.aspx#ite-283220