Cooperation, the key to project success
Collaboration within a project is essential to enable a team to work together smoothly - even across the world - and achieve its goals effectively. In this article, we look at what exactly is collaboration in project management and why is it important? How to spot a problem with collaboration between team members and how to improve it.
What is collaboration in project management?
When we talk about cooperation, we really mean teamwork. As it is becoming more and more common to have team members from all over the world working on different projects, project collaboration is becoming more and more important to make day-to-day work run smoothly.
Cooperation within projects is based on three main things:
- effective communication
- consistent processes
- the right project collaboration tools
Why is the principle of good cooperation important in a project environment?
Cooperation is essential for smooth teamwork for several reasons.- Better communication Collaboration fosters open and clear communication between team members, which helps eliminate misunderstandings and ensures that everyone has the same goal
- Greater efficiency When team members work together in harmony, tasks can be completed faster and more efficiently. They can share their knowledge to find the best solutions to problems. By working together, teams can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to increase productivity. Collaboration allows more people to work together on a task, which can be completed in less time and with greater efficiency.
- Increased creativity Collaborating with others can lead to new and innovative ideas and approaches, as individuals contribute their own unique experiences and skills to the joint work. Collaboration in a team can also have a positive impact on work morale and motivation, leading to better performance and improved results.
- More motivation Working towards a common goal can increase motivation and commitment, as team members feel they are contributing to a greater outcome. By working together, project participants take greater responsibility for success and can more easily identify potential problems.
- Better decision making Collaboration enables the sharing of different perspectives and ideas, which contributes to better decision-making and problem-solving. By working together, teams can use their shared knowledge and experience to develop more creative solutions to difficulties.
- Quality work Collaboration allows for more thorough and effective quality control, as team members are able to review each other's work and provide constructive feedback. Collaboration can help ensure that projects are completed to the highest standards and with the best possible results.
What are the signs that cooperation within a team is not effective?
Well-cooperating teams are characterised by productivity, a sense of purpose and excellent problem-solving skills, which make it easy to work through low points. However, there are also tell-tale signs when collaboration is not going smoothly. Let's look at them now!- Lack of common goals If there are no common goals, no matter how good the project, it can quickly come to a standstill. Deadlines are the main way of highlighting this, because if a team member's goals are separate and in conflict with the team's goals, the most important tasks are not the focus.
- Distance Some teams even have problems working together when some members work in different rooms, especially on different floors or in different buildings. This is a sure sign that work needs to be done to improve collaboration, as it needs to work smoothly without physical barriers.
- Self-centredness There's a huge difference between working for your own interests and putting all your energy into working for the success of your team. If there are too many self-centred team members who are only focused on their own tasks, it becomes very difficult to work together on a project.
- Too many decision-makers This situation can be roughly compared to having your dinner prepared by several chefs at the same time in a restaurant. If there are too many decision-makers, chaos ensues. The team may simply get stuck, or the most incompetent one may not make a decision that turns out to be wrong.
- Duplicate tasks It's a very unpleasant situation when it turns out that a task you've spent hours or even days on has been done by someone else before. Duplication of effort is a waste of time and money, which immediately calls for better coordination of the position.
- Not clean milestones Even with well-defined goals, some teams may not know how to achieve them. In larger organisations, where some teams are made up of smaller teams, it is often the case that while the company-wide goals are clearer than ever, the smaller milestones and how to move forward are completely unclear. If we see individual team members spinning in circles rather than moving forward, then there is certainly a problem with collaboration.
How can professional cooperation and communication be improved?
The opportunities and forms of professional cooperation are key to achieving results. Here are some useful tips for successful collaboration!
Let's emphasise the goals!
We need to tell the team over and over again where we are going, what our common goals are and, if changes are needed, to repeat new directions regularly. This is also a way to increase commitment and, with the right communication, cooperation will be much more effective.
Joint brainstorming
At every step of the project - brainstorming, planning and every meeting - it is important to get the team's views and ideas. Care should also be taken to ensure that not only those who are already more active have their say, but it is also important to find out what the less extroverted team members think. This way, they are more likely to share their ideas later on because they know that their ideas matter.
Effective communication
Consistent and clear communication is crucial for team success. With so many channels of information flowing through projects, it is not uncommon for information to get lost. At the start of a project, or even better, when the team is formed, it is essential to agree on the format and frequency of updates so that they reach all the relevant people at the right time.
Using collaboration tools
The stronger the collaboration on a project, the better the outcome for team members and the organisation as a whole. Today, modern collaboration tools have made this much easier. With conference calls and virtual whiteboards, even thousands of kilometres are no longer an obstacle. Apps to track issues and projects help teams manage priorities, managers plan and HR analysts mine data.
The different teams can use virtual knowledge bases and shared workspaces to search for information, submit materials and manage tasks to keep the project moving forward.
If, as a project manager, you also consider it important to collaborate effectively within your team, to communicate more effectively in your work and to develop your competences, please have a look at our training courses for project managers!
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