Collaboration Skills and Their Importance

ETHOS Learning Platform Collaboration Skills and Their Importance

What Are Collaboration Skills?

Nearly every task can be made easier by working as a team. Being a good team player and collaborator means being open-minded, hearing the perspectives of others, not controlling how the team functions, and diplomatically handling conflicts. By working well with others, you can efficiently make decisions to reach a common goal. Can you think of a time or situation when it was better to be on a team rather than working alone?

Why Are Collaboration Skills Important?

There is a saying, “two heads are better than one”. This is because when you work with another person, you can come up with far more ideas than you would on your own. Imagine you’re tasked with planning a work party. Maybe someone on your team knows all the best caterers in town, so they’re in charge of organizing the food, while another person has great taste in music, so they’re tasked with creating a music playlist. When you collaborate, you’re able to pool talent and resources, improve communication skills, and develop an appreciation for your teammates’ diverse expertise. In the workplace, employers want to hire employees who can work well as part of a team, as this generates more ideas, which results in finding the best solutions. The fact is, we can never accomplish as much alone as we can when we work together.

By learning to work together, you can achieve more than by working on your own.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

– Helen Keller

Collaborating with others can be fun and will help you learn from those around you.

What Does Collaboration Look Like in Daily Life?

You will likely find yourself working on many teams whether at work or in daily life. Studying with a classmate, brainstorming names for a family pet, or making plans with friends are all examples of collaboration. Look below to see what it means to be collaborative in daily life.

Collaboration is contributing to group decisions. Your voice and opinions matter when making decisions. If you’re discussing with friends where to go out for dinner, suggest one of your favourite restaurants!

Collaboration is encouraging your team members to share ideas. Asking your team questions and listening attentively to their answers can help you learn new perspectives and ways of doing things. Their ideas might be just the thing you need to overcome a challenge or problem.

Collaboration is respecting the feelings, views, and values of other team members. Listen to others when they are sharing their feelings with you. Demonstrate that you are trustworthy by avoiding gossip, teasing, or other disrespectful behaviours.

Collaboration is freely sharing information with team members. Collaboration doesn’t work if you know something others don’t. Freely sharing with others helps keep everyone on the same page. If you’re working on a group assignment and you learn the deadline was extended, you’d immediately tell your team mates the good news!

Collaboration is being positive and encouraging. Letting your teammates know they’re doing a good job is a great way to keep everyone motivated. This can help your team to be productive and complete tasks on time or ahead of schedule.

Collaboration is quickly addressing issues or problems. Dealing with problems or issues in a timely manner helps keep your relationships positive and free of potential resentment. Working collaboratively can be difficult, but it will be easier if interpersonal problems are handled in a positive way.

Some Additional Thoughts on Collaboration

Working well in a group can be challenging, even when collaborating with people you know. It’s important that you listen with respect, share your ideas, and try to resolve any conflicts when they happen. Be collaborative when resolving conflicts by making sure the problems of both sides are heard, brainstorming possible solutions as a group, and trying to find a compromise that works for everyone involved. Don’t be discouraged if putting your collaborative skills to use doesn’t lead to instant changes and solutions. Spending the time and effort to collaborate in a positive way helps create a stronger team in the long run.

Sometimes collaborating can be uncomfortable. Remember, it is a skill that requires practice!

Collaboration Spotlight

From the very beginning, Marvel’s co-creator, Stan Lee, believed in the collaboration of super-talented teams. His unique management style was known as the Marvel Method, which departed from traditional comic writing strategies by giving writers and artists equal opportunity to participate in the development of the story. Much of Marvel’s success can be attributed to this collaborative approach, as it positioned employees as partners, allowed for better use of time and resources, and increased creativity within the team.

Check out more about Stan Lee’s legendary method here!

Let’s Keep Learning!

Below you will find videos, links, and a further exploration activity to help develop your skills.

Play the game Castaways with your friends. All you’ll need to succeed is a collaborative spirit! Imagine you’re all stranded on a desert island for one week. The island has fresh water, plants, and animal life. As a team, you are only allowed three items to help you survive. What three items should you bring?

Think about the collaboration process. Were you able to agree on three items? Did everyone in the group have a chance to speak? If there were disagreements, how did you resolve them?

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