How To Create a More Collaborative Workplace in 3 Simple Steps?

Summary: Star leaders know that they have to engage with human beings and make sure that they make genuine connections, not tied to performance or qualifications. They are interested in how people behave, what their drives are, and what really matters to them. Remembering and implementing this information is as important as using technical information and skills you need to perform your job if you want to bloom and expand as a leader.

At work, people rely on one another. A leader may find it challenging to unite a group of people and complete a project in the absence of strong ties. Collaboration is only a useful tool in the workplace if everyone gets along. In this post, we discuss how crucial it is to establish deeper connections at work.

Every now and then we come across leaders who can get their way no matter what and have a way of convincing their stakeholders of almost anything. It may be convenient to say that everything comes to that leader easily, or that they simply rely on the power of money and resources that you may not have access to. One way the CEO of a healthcare company with 74,000 employees1 manages to show his deep interest in his 24 clinic managers was by visiting them during training and interacting with them personally. Before these interactions, his assistant compiled a list of the managersâ€™ names, profiles and even some important recent life events. Armed with this knowledge, he followed up on what is happening in their lives, inquiring about their specific problems and deepening their commitment a hundredfold.

Get to know people enthusiastically

By being open to and inquiring about people’s personal opinions and feelings, you invite them to form long-term relationships. You may operate under the knowledge that someone has good technical skills or a deserved reputation, but true collaboration starts at a much more human, impactful level. This show of curiosity about someone will not only build that personâ€™s morale but also give people the gift of confidence.1 When this positive association is made with you, people will keep returning to you, bringing many potential opportunities to the table in the long run.

Understand and share perspectives

Give people your attention and they will return it to you multifold. Be curious about them and ask questions to understand, not judge or condemn choices, just to listen to what they are really saying.2 If you feel like your perspective will really help them and add value to their growth and discovery, by asking them the right questions, you can end up expanding their point of view and also have a conversation that is genuinely fulfilling for both of you.

Leverage physical touch

When you are with your stakeholders in person, depending on your comfort with them, a firm handshake, a pat on the back or their arm, or a warm hug could go a long way.Â Star leaders realize that each employee has a ratio of daily touches or acknowledgements that need to occur to keep the personâ€™s mental prowess at max capacity.3 Pay attention and be intentional about the different ways in which you could touch people emotionally. The tech age, if anything, is an opportunity that respects and surpasses physical boundaries.

Impact on Leadership

For your leadership to be effective and inspirational, you have to take an interest in not just the people falling in your immediate circle but also beyond them. It will let you build rapport and make them more engaging with you. When you truly care about your teamâ€™s motivation and their ideas, your team will idealize you and will follow you in the right direction. Your leadership capabilities will also be seen as interesting and likeable.

Star Mindset

The ability to show interest in people can be learned. The more we show interest, the more we end up having deeper relationships.

3 Immediately Applicable Action Steps

1) Ask people questions beyond the basic profile and qualifications to get to know them at a personal level and to understand their perspectives.

2) Show interest in their lives by asking them about what is new and exciting for them nowadaysÂ

3) Next time, when you observe that someone changed their personal routine or style, be curious and ask them to tell you more about it.

References

1. Henley, D. (2018a, July 20). Three Ways Great Leaders Show They Care About Their Team. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dedehenley/2018/07/20/three-ways-great-leaders-show-they-care-about-their-team/?sh=1cfc85d146e5

2. McKenzie, G. (2019, April 6). Ten Ways to Build People Up. Spillwords. https://spillwords.com/ten-ways-to-build-people-up/

3. Whalen, D. (2018, June 1). 13 Powerful Actions Great Leaders Take to Build Great Teams. Medium. https://medium.com/swlh/13-powerful-actions-great-leaders-take-to-build-great-teams-5990c052059f

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