According to a survey, 85% of executives and project managers consider the lack of project collaboration and poor communication as the main reason behind workplace failure. Another latest study suggests that almost 40% employees are not happy with the level of collaboration in their organization.

These statistics are enough to give project managers sleepless nights. Then which steps should be taken through which project managers can improve project collaboration and boost productivity. Collaboration between team members and organized project management is critical for successful projects.

Here are some ways to improve project collaboration:

• Go Digital

Take advantage of technology to improve your project collaboration. Choose a project management tool that not only provides you with essential collaboration tools but also provide real-time reporting. Communicating with your team members through these digital tools will help you in bridging the communication gap.

• Establish and Open Communication Channels

If you are serious about enhancing project collaboration, then it is important to establish a communication channel first and then be open for communication and collaboration all the time. Do not hide behind the layers of hierarchy, which makes you inaccessible to your team members.

Instead, lead from the front and keep your team engaged in the projects. Make sure that you are easily approachable to team members in case they get stuck somewhere and need your guidance.

• Foster Trust and Friendship

Focus your energies towards building trust. Trust is the major driver behind effective teamwork. If your team members trust each other, they will work as a unit. This also holds true for friendships. If you successfully create a cordial environment for your team, your team members will not only feel at home but also work cohesively to achieve the common objective.

Instead of being a part of the blame game, it is better to work together to improve the system. Remember that mud-slinging will not benefit anyone and leads to animosity between team members, which could later lead to common workspace conflicts. Provide a healthy environment for team members to work in and develop trust.

• Team Members Should be on the Same Page

Another benefit of using online project management software is real time updates. Project managers can inform all their team regarding the changes made in the project. Due to this, all your team members remain updated and on the same page with regards to project’s progress, which increases the chances of project’s success.

Things can go haywire very quickly if your team members are moving in different directions and is enough to put your project on the wrong track. As a project manager, you need to be proactive to ensure every team member is clear about the roles they have to play and the objectives of the project that need tot be achieved.

• Have an Agenda and Focus on It

According to sales.com and Microsoft Office surveys, an unproductive meeting is the biggest reason behind wastage of time at the workplace. Before you call your team members for a meeting, it is highly recommended that you have a clear agenda for it. Make sure that all the meeting participants are aware of the meeting agenda so they can come to meetings well prepared.

• Ensure Transparency and Merit

Do not let biases get in the way and try to keep the project as transparent as possible. Favoring or rewarding a team member who does not deserve it will leave a bad taste in other team members’ mouths. This will give rise to jealousy and will destroy team cohesion. Saving your project from failure would be difficult if there is no clarity.

Tell all the team members the criteria for success and rewards. Never keep your team members in the dark about project details and mechanisms otherwise; they will not be able to deliver their best. Clear all the confusion of your team members by having transparency in the process.

• Have Fun Together

Last but not the least, is having fun together. Celebrate small milestones that you achieve and give credit to your team members when they deserve it. Virgin Airline CEO, Richard Branson shares his secrets of success. One of these secrets is having fun with your team members. As a result, they are rejuvenated after a hectic day and deliver their best in future. The same formula can be applied to project management and other teamwork settings used to achieve an objective.

Once you start celebrating and enjoying successes, be it individual or collective, with your team members, this will create a strong bond and strengthen it further. Due to this strong bonding, project collaboration will improve significantly. They will not hesitate in sharing issues their personally facing and potential problems that directly affect the project more promptly with you, this would assist you in managing projects more efficiently and smoothly.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you can easily raise the level of project collaboration by following the aforementioned pieces of advice. Use project management tools to enhance collaboration between your team members and be open to suggestions from your team members. If you can think of other ways that can enhance project collaboration, feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.