The modern workplace, however, can get in the way of a successful marketing campaign. New technologies, new working models, and remote work environments have altered workflows and changed the ways we collaborate.

But, teamwork still makes the dream work. It is integral that companies prioritize strategies that strengthen the collaboration process.

This article will discuss the importance of collaboration and highlight a few key strategies to improve teamwork within the workplace.

Why Сollaboration Matters

Effective collaboration is crucial to creating a cohesive workplace. Collaboration allows for leaders and team members to combine skills in order to navigate complex challenges.

There are many benefits that come with implementing collaborative strategies:

• Employee satisfaction leads to increased motivation and productivity. When employees feel valued and are provided with training and opportunities for further development, they feel more satisfied and fulfilled by their work.
• Employee retention strategies and collaboration strategies have a symbiotic relationship with one another. When employees are able to collaborate meaningfully and cohesively with one another it leads to a greater sense of satisfaction and purpose.
• Increased efficiency due to the shared workload.
• Increased problem-solving due to diverse perspectives and contributions. Collaboration allows for different perspectives and varying opinions leading to creative solutions to even the most complex problems.
• Engagement and morale: When teams are together and support one another, team members feel valued and more committed. This creates a sense of community and support among teams.
• Collaboration allows for sustainable growth. Collaborative teams are more resilient. This creates an environment that is more conducive to working together.

Collaboration Curveballs

I’m sure you’ve heard of Bruce W. Tuckman’s ‘Four Stages of Team Development’ framework. This framework indicates that before a team starts to perform, there will be a period called “Storming” in which emotions and conflicts form a barrier to successful communications.

Let’s explore some of the collaboration curveballs you can expect while team building.

• Unhealthy competition: Friendly competition and spirited debate drives growth and innovation. However, unhealthy competition can lead to inappropriate behaviour among staff members and even a hostile work environment.
• Lack of transparency: Clear communication and guidelines sets the tone for the group. When team members have a clear understanding of the guidelines they are meant to follow it builds trust and improves outcomes. However, a lack of transparency diminishes trust within the group.
• Lack of leadership: Leadership is the cornerstone of cohesive and effective collaboration. Leaders need to foster a supportive environment for team members and incentivise collaboration.
• Lack of patience: The ‘Four Stages of Team Development’ framework indicates that patience is a crucial part of team building. Rushing this process makes room for errors and impacts the quality of collaboration and therefore the quality of its results.

Understanding these common problems relating to collaboration is especially important with regard to remote work environments.

“Because we are working together from across the globe, we prioritise alignment,” says Amit Raj, the founder and CEO of The Links Guy. Amit is the leader of a global link building agency.

“We understand that implementing effective strategies to ensure that team members across departments are on the same page regarding the outcomes we want to achieve, and meeting the KPIs required by our clients.”

7 Strategies for Successful Collaborative Marketing Teams

To ensure that you and your team are aligned, there are several strategies that you should incorporate into your workflow to ensure that your teams have the best collaborative experience possible.

1. Task Management

Successful collaboration requires a comprehensive task management strategy. Team members need to be provided with a nuanced understanding of the project’s goals and objectives, and well-defined roles and responsibilities.

The importance of goal-setting

The first part of assigning tasks is knowing what you are aiming for. Make use of SMART goals. This translates to smart, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. This type of framework helps create clear objectives that can be reached in a certain amount of time with specific guidelines.

Make sure to involve teams in the goal-setting process to encourage employee buy-in and commitment from your teams. If they have a full understanding of the objectives, then they will be more inclined to follow through with their KPIs.

Defined roles and responsibilities

When you create defined roles and responsibilities for your teams, it will help create accountability for each team member contributing to the overall objectives. Be sure to provide clarity on the efforts they will be making, as it will allow for better cohesion in teams, resulting in higher performance and innovation.

One of the easier ways to assign roles to your teams is by using task management or project management tools. This way teams will have a visual understanding of their assigned roles for teams and individual members.

2. Using Collaboration Tools

In order for collaboration to be effective, you need the right tools and resources to make this work well. By investing in the right tools, you can streamline your projects and campaigns more effectively.

Project management platforms

Lua CRM, Trello, and Monday.com are just a few tools you can use for effective project management. Lua CRM is known for its comprehensive features like CRM integration, financial tracking, project and task management, and knowledge base management. This is a great software solution choice for marketing teams needing a centralized workspace.