6 Collaboration Tips to Help Maximize Business Productivity

Meeting and collaboration look very different in the age of remote work. But how different is it really? People used to meet in conference rooms, but now they are meeting online. Is this shift causing productivity to dwindle?

Many companies avoid going fully remote because they fear a drop in productivity and collaboration. After being forced into remote work due to the pandemic’s lockdown, many companies have found that employees can be flexible in the way they collaborateand productivity has increased. With the tools available today, there’s no reason to avoid hiring a remote workforce.

In the Forbes video “How Collaboration Leads to Productivity,” Cotopaxi CEO and founder Davis Smith is in conversation with Blueland CEO and co-founder Sarah Paiji Yoo. Smith says, “I was actually the biggest believer of being in the office together. I realized very quickly I was wrong. Working together virtually, it was working for us, and it was highly productive.”  

For more insight, watch the full video here and read on review six tips for using collaboration to increase productivity while working remotely.

1.     Have In-Office and Remote Employees Join Virtual Meetings Individually and Together

A feeling of togetherness occurs when everyone in a virtual meeting can be seen and heard. It’s frustrating for remote workers to join a discussion when they can’t see and hear everything happening within the meeting. They end up at a disadvantage by not being in the room with the in-office employees.

Paiji Yoo suggests that people in the same room should join the meeting virtually from their own devices along with those joining remotely, instead of having one person participate in the remote call for the entire room. This makes it easier for everyone joining remotely to hear everything happening within the conference room, and they are less likely to miss anything. It also helps increase collaboration among all meeting participants.

2.     Have Smaller Group Meetings to Encourage Greater Collaboration

Meetings may be more productive when the number of attendees is reduced. Smaller meetings help facilitate more conversation and involvement. There’s less of a sense of competition to be heard, which leads to more productive meetings where everyone can easily participate.

If necessary, the group can meet with each department or another individual group. One person can speak up for their group’s needs, ideas, or conclusions.

3.     Adapt Your Physical Office Space for Collaboration

It’s important to arrange your office furniture in a way that allows for better collaboration. With a remote work environment, you may find that fewer people are working in the office daily, so there’s less need for an individual workstation for each employee.

Small computer desks and office chairs lining the walls may suffice for workstations. Before, each employee needed a full workstation, which required a good portion of available space. Smaller desk stations provide space within your area for easy teamwork. This could be a group of separate tables within the center of the space or smaller meeting rooms beside the larger ones.

4.     Use Video Conferencing Breakouts for Remote Collaboration

Collaborations can occur among a small group of people from within a larger meeting with Zoom or Microsoft Teams breakout rooms. It’s like taking people from a big conference room table and placing them in smaller groups at folding tables. It allows for smaller groups to collaborate, which can have a big impact on productivity.

Collaboration among a few people benefits not only the individual but also the group and the company as a whole. Breakouts allow a small group to get together to discuss a specific topic, make a decision, or further a project. A smaller group can improve the level of communication, leading to more innovation and better ideas. Naturally, people are more likely to participate when the size of the group is smaller.

Virtual breakout rooms are an excellent tool when narrowing down ideas or developing a project. One group could focus on a supply issue, while another deals with current inventory. It’s a great way to take a large project and break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

5.     Survey Employees to Gain Feedback and Understanding

Remote work has exploded in popularity, and being open to this helps attract and nurture talent. One way to nurture talent is through understanding what your employees truly desire and need from the company.

“I would encourage all small businesses to do an engagement survey. We do an engagement survey with our team quarterly, where we check in on how different policies and ways of working [sic] we have in place are working for the team, and we digest all that information, and we tweak based on that information,” says Paiji Yoo.

Gaining a better understanding of your employees and what they need from you can help you retain great talent and convince new talent to come aboard. It also enables the company to be a company of the people, where individuals and departments don’t feel like they are working in silos.

Employees are more likely to stay when they feel they have a say in departmental and company decisions and policies. They become invested in their employer. It’s no longer just about the paycheck.

6.     Encourage People at Every Level of the Business to Collaborate

Collaboration is more accessible in the age of remote working. Online collaboration makes participation simpler. Easily send a question or comment to your co-worker for them to respond as soon as they can get to it with an instant messaging service. Use productivity tools to effectively run entire projects and keep everyone involved on the same page. There’s no more trying to catch them at a good time or waiting for a response from an email and then miscommunicating the information to someone else.

Collaboration always happens when it comes from the top down. Leaders can help solicit the best employees when they lead by example. When the CEO takes time to collaborate with other departments — for example, with front-line employees within the customer service department — magical things happen.

The CEO can develop a firm understanding of every part of the business. Employees feel heard and respected. Employee loyalty is born when all employees feel they have a voice, from the customer service representative to the top of the company.

Choose a space for in-person collaboration. It could be a small corner desk for just two or three people to chat. Make use of rolling chairs to allow one person to easily move from one space to another for more intimate collaboration.

“In terms of collaborating, I think one of the most important things I have learned as a leader is finding ways to encourage collaboration from every range of the business. From entry-level people to the most senior executives. When people feel they have a voice in the business, and no matter where I'm at, my voice can be heard, and there is an opportunity for me to innovate,” says Smith.

Just because people aren’t in the same space doesn’t mean collaboration can’t happen or won’t be as beneficial. It doesn’t reduce productivity, either. Many businesses find that employees are more productive when they can fit their work schedule into their daily lives. And being in an office doesn’t necessarily facilitate that.

Having some flexibility when working remotely does. Completing work becomes more manageable when an employee’s work hours aren’t necessarily tied to the 9-to-5 time frame. This alone is a reason to consider a remote working environment.

Want to hear more from Sarah and Davis about their approach to leadership? Check out their tips on attracting and nurturing talent  and creating a great company culture