Foster a culture of effective and sustainable collaboration in your teams

In a working world where projects are becoming increasingly complex and organizations are constantly changing, collaboration can no longer be left to chance. It's not just a matter of "getting along well with colleagues". It relies on practices, tools, a culture, and above all a collective will to work better together.

For HR and training managers, this is a decisive issue: how can you support your teams in a concrete way towards greater cross-functionality, fluidity and shared responsibility? Here are the keys.

Focus on clear, positive and inclusive communication

Communication is more than just transmitting information. It shapes culture, strengthens commitment and facilitates collaboration.

• Clear, impactful communication to effectively convey an idea, a need, an expectation. No blur, no detours.
• Positive, inclusive communication: to nurture a climate of trust, foster commitment and reinforce a sense of belonging.
• Intercultural communication: essential in international organizations, where language, posture and hierarchies vary from one country to another.

Mastering asynchronous communication 

In hybrid environments, knowing how to collaborate without being in permanent meetings is a real efficiency booster. Asynchronous communication (by e-mail, shared documents, non-instantaneous messages) allows greater flexibility and concentration. But you need to know how to set the right rules.

Good collaboration doesn't require more communication... but better communication.

Working with different styles 

In a team, you don't work with clones. We work with different personalities, rhythms, sensibilities and methods. These differences are an asset... but also a potential source of misunderstanding and tension.

Knowing how to collaborate therefore also means knowing how to navigate the diversity ofstyles - without avoiding it or smoothing it over, but learning to understand it better.

The keys to working together despite (or thanks to) our differences :

• Identify potential sources of tension Differences in pace, level of demand, preferred channel, hierarchical position...
• Discuss disagreements calmly, without running away from them or letting them fester.
• Establish a clear working framework: shared operating rules, accepted decisions, identified discussion forums
• Tools for better self-understanding: DISC profiles, 360° feedback, sharing of individual operating modes

We often forget that collaboration is a skill in its own right. It's not based on goodwill or interpersonal skills alone: it relies on specific soft skills that can - and must - be developed.

Key skills to cultivate within teams :

• Active listening: to really understand what the other person is saying (and not just what you hear)
• Empathy: taking everyone's emotions and needs into account
• Assertiveness: to dare to say things, set limits and express disagreements correctly
• Managing tension: defusing conflict without running away from it
• Constructive feedback: nurturing continuous improvement and building trust
• Collaborative leadership : helping others to grow, distributing responsibilities, encouraging initiative

These skills are the foundations of healthy, sustainable and successful collaboration. They can be developed through workshops, role-playing, co-development or team coaching.

And like all skills, they require practice, feedback... and a supportive environment.

Use the right tools to collaborate more effectively both remotely and face-to-face

Smooth collaboration relies on a foundation of shared tools, designed to serve teams. But these tools need to be adapted to the working mode(synchronous or asynchronous communication), easy to use, and supported by clear rituals.

Identify the obstacles to collaboration to act effectively

Before seeking to improve collaboration, it is essential to understand what hinders or weakens collective dynamics.

Here are the most common bottlenecks in organizations:

• Persistent silos that limit cross-team and cross-business exchanges
  
  
• Work practices too heterogeneous, not aligned with expectations
  
  
• Tensions linked to hybridization (face-to-face vs. distance learning, poorly coordinated)
  
  
• Lack of a clear framework for cooperation (who does what, how, with whom?)

Better collaboration starts with an honest diagnosis. Observing team routines, questioning irritants, listening to employee feedback... all levers for acting on the real causes, not just the symptoms.