How to Improve Team Cooperation Skills in the Workplace

How do you embrace team cooperation skills in the workplace?

For an organization to run smoothly and meet its goals, it is important to foster a work environment that supports collaboration amongst colleagues. Unfortunately for most organizations, team cooperation does not occur naturally. Thus you must make an effort and take steps to help build and sustain a cooperative work environment.

Team cooperation in the workplace can mean many things. It involves the level at which employees participate in decision-making, how management and employees work together to resolve problems, and how all levels of the organization work together to achieve common goals.

There are many activities and steps that the leadership – along with the employees – can take to help improve cooperation skills in the workplace.

1. Teamwork must become part of your workplace culture

For coworkers to successfully collaborate, the leadership within the organization must work to make collaboration one of the key values of the enterprise. Employees must see that the leadership within the firm works together as a team to accomplish goals. Also, the company’s leadership must award teams publicly when they are successful at working together to achieve their objectives.

To truly improve cooperation skills, leaders must provide an environment where employees are not afraid to share their ideas. Leaders must create a culture where the exchange of ideas is encouraged and rewarded. Teamwork and collaboration must be a central theme of the mission statement to improve team cooperation.

2. Provide teams with the resources they need to work together

To make improvements with communication, the organization must provide the necessary resources to the teams. This includes comfortable work spaces where the teams can work together. If the teams are spread out amongst different locations, then the organization must provide the resources that allow the teams to work together remotely, such as video conferencing.

Finally, the organization should be providing an online collaboration portal for its employees, to use for communication. There are many online tools, such as Slack, that allow employees to communicate easily across different departments. Having the tools to communicate across departments easily is an essential instrument needed to team cooperation.

3. Train employees and encourage ongoing learning

Working as a collaborative team member is not a skill that everyone is born with; however, cooperation skills like this, which is why it is imperative the organization spend the money investing in the employee’s teamwork skills. There are fantastic team building courses out there for your employees to attend. Also, there are specific skills employees need to learn to be effective collaborators.

One of these skills is the ability to communicate with co-workers effectively. There are practical workshops employees can take to learn how to better communicate through public speaking. Learning public speaking skills will increase their confidence and ability to articulate points, as well as bring them closer together if the course is completed as a group.

4. Encourage employees to socialize outside of work

When employees are in the office, they are focused on the tasks at hand, which means there is little time for coworkers to bond on a personal level. It is vital to team collaboration for people to get to know each other outside the office. The event does not have to be a significant expense; it could be going to the movies, having a casual lunch, or going for a drink after work. Participating in a social event will help break down barriers in the office and will help improve team cooperation, as coworkers will have built trust and feel more comfortable collaborating together.

Collaboration in the workplace begins when coworkers feel comfortable with one another. Getting together outside of work and building strong relationships has a huge positive impact on team dynamics and the work they do in the office. If you need help engaging your team and planning an event, make sure to check out our professionally facilitated team building events.

5. Clarifying roles and setting expectations

Organizations will find when all employees are on the same page, working collaboratively will quickly become a seamless and natural process. Making sure each employee understands – not only his or her role, but also the roles of the people around them will help everyone understand the big picture and how they fit into the larger puzzle.

It is also imperative that the leadership sets clear expectations for the teams so that as employees work together, everyone is clear on which goal or objective needs to be reached.

6. Review individual’s talents

An organization must look at every single employee’s skills and place them in a setting where they can add the most value. For team cooperation, it’s important to identify each individual’s strengths and place them with coworkers who will complement and challenge those strengths. When each team member is the best at what their role is within the team, you will see them producing results above your expectations.

7. Resolve team conflict quickly

No team will ever be perfect, and it is crucial for organizations to recognize this and have a system in place to handle any conflicts that arise. The system should allow any employee to share their concerns without repercussions. Also, employees should be allowed to have input on any solution to the conflict made by the organization.

Employees who know there is a system in place and are comfortable knowing the dispute will be handled fairly will be able to return to the team in a healthy and collaborative manner.

Don’t let poor communication take over the workplace, and implement the above tips to ensure cooperation is the new norm!

Contact TeamBonding for more ideas on how to facilitate team cooperation skills in your workplace.

Lizzie Brown

Team Contributor

Subscribe

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

Podcast

around the world podcast logo

Get ideas, inspiration and best practices from across the globe.

apple podcast logo spotify podcast logo

Be a Guest Blogger

Do you have any useful tips, tricks, guides, or valuable insights about company culture?

Learn more  

Sign up for tips on crafting the perfect team.

Less drama? Greater productivity and job satisfaction? Yes, you really can make an impact, and TeamBonding is here to help. Subscribe to our blog for useful tips, tricks and insights.

More great content based on your likes.

What Do Employees Value Most?

Employees are the most important part of any business. Without them, you have no one to make your product, sell your service, run your store, or help your customers. Keeping them satisfied and happy with their jobs is essential if you want to build a strong and devoted team. 

Read More  

Leveraging Charitable Events for Effective Team Building

Team building is like a never-ending adventure that helps a group of people become an effective and unstoppable team. In addition to having shared goals and objectives for work, team members must also establish trust, offer support, and value each other’s unique qualities and characteristics. To commit to this growth, teams must adopt effective team building methods.

Read More  

Building Community At Work: Going Beyond the Surface

In the digital world, it’s easy to get disconnected and isolated from others. This is especially true when it comes to remote work. Disconnection can have huge consequences. A large report from The Engagement Institute found that disengaged workers cost businesses up to $550 billion a year. 

Read More  

7 Benefits of Organizing Corporate Retreats (Example Events Included)

Corporate retreats have become an increasingly popular option to bring teams together over the past few years. Many teams are still working remote or hybrid, and some teams still haven’t met yet in person. Without face-to-face communication, it is easy for employees to feel isolated and unmotivated. Occasional team meetings and conferences just aren’t enough. There are many benefits of corporate retreats such as increased engagement, improved collaboration and better morale. However, companies may avoid organizing a corporate retreat due to the extensive planning required and high costs. 

Read More  

Questions? Need a quote?

Complete this form to get started or call 877-472-2725.

Loading Icon

Create Your Free Account

Get exclusive access to new programs from the TeamBonding Lab, save your favorite ideas, and track your upcoming events.
Already have an account? Login

Please wait...

Sign-in

Don't yet have an account?
Create a Free Account

Forgot Your Password? Password Reset