At work, I'm grateful to partner with collaborative colleagues guided by a management team that is determined to transform our company. Here are some tips on how to help your team work together better to uncover opportunities:
1. Hold team meetings to discuss new opportunities and delegate next steps.
After a team meeting to share ways to improve your organization, assign action steps to investigate or implement those ideas with a specific timeline. Stop the cycle of indecisive meetings without effective decisions. If your leadership doesn't show interest in these opportunities, employees will stop trying to make improvements and continue to perform maintenance duties.
2. Provide tools to share trends, fresh ideas and a diversity of thought.
Depending upon the size of your company and department, it may be best to review ideas on a weekly call, use instant messaging, post in a Google+ circle or have discussions in a private LinkedIn Group. Find out which platform is not an administrative burden and one that truly helps your team connect.
3. Allow employees to discover best practices away from their desk.
Introduce colleagues to other leaders within your organization who add value to your company. Include opportunities within your budget for individuals to attend conferences or events to learn best practices. Support employees who want to volunteer and participate in professional organizations.
The future success of your company depends upon the ability of teams to collaborate to create the most effective solutions. Keep in mind this quote, “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” - Unknown