There is no greater weapon in an organisation's arsenal than a great team. To genuinely achieve success, it is necessary for an organisation to embrace teamwork and the Power of We. However, the process of getting a group of people to work together towards a common goal isn’t always easy.
Many of you must have been managing people for a long time. Tell me what do you fear the most? I’ll tell you what it is - you fear collision. As the person “in charge”, your biggest concern is what will happen when a group of equally competitive yet completely different personalities starts working - dissecting and debating - on a project.
Considering the fact that we (humans) are not so good at giving up our earthly point-of-view about anything and everything, your fear is justified. But did you ever try looking at the situation from a positive perspective? Well, I did.
The team I have here at ProofHub is no different than yours. We don’t start off on the same page in every matter. We have a variance of opinions. We share disagreements with each other. We collide on ideas and perspectives. And do you know why it works for us? Well, that’s because we manage to keep things constructive and cohesive. Honestly, if it wasn’t for those collisions in team discussions, I am very certain that we wouldn’t have emerged as the unconventional, bold team as we are today.
I prefer to let those brilliant minds collide rather than holding them back. That’s how we develop new ideas, make decisions faster, foster collaboration, and find new solutions to tough challenges.
Wait! If you’re interested in adapting this approach, I've got a few tips that will help you do it the right way.
Set the tone from the top
Demonstrate that even your (the project manager’s) ideas and decisions are open for discussions. Ask your employees for their honest feedback. Collide with your team for the best results. This way, you’ll set an example for your team and they’re more likely to do the same.
Nurture a growth mindset
People with a growth mindset value learning and development. They don't get offended or show grievance when you question their opinion. Instead, they see every question and feedback as an opportunity to improve. This is the kind of mindset that will make collisions productive at work.
Create a feedback-safe environment
Nurture a work culture where employees are willing to give their honest opinions and are sure that there won't face any negative repercussions. Create a level of trust and comfort between team members so that they feel safe to share their views.
Use different communication channels
A collaborative culture doesn’t only have one way to give or receive ideas. Here at ProofHub, I offer opportunities to collaborate in a way that people are most comfortable with in different situations. For quick office conversations we use one-on-one Chat, for sharing ideas and updates we use Discussions, for review and feedback sharing we have online Proofing, and so on.
Make #RealTalk a routine
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. When positive debate and discussion happens routinely, it becomes expected. It integrates into your everyday work process and eventually, your team gets better at it.
As a manager, you're focused on finding the ideal group dynamic. You want to embrace teamwork. I get that. I get that big time.
But that doesn’t mean that your team can’t collide constructively while sharing new ideas or making important decisions. In today's world of relentless volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity – challenging each others opinion and interrogating the reality can produce amazing results.
Author Bio:
Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voice
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