The Art and Science of Inter-departmental Collaboration

In business today, we often discuss inter-departmental collaboration as an abstract term to which we all aspire, but which we often fail to achieve. We sometimes expect it to materialize simply because we order it. Clearly, it is not that easy. In this article we attempt to demystify the subject with a few simple observations on why some businesses fail in this regard and how we can avoid the pitfalls.

Our own company, knk Software, lives in the world of application software development and ERP implementations, and collaboration is a subject near and dear to our hearts. However, some organizations are simply more ready to succeed than others, and so we recount below what we understand of this magic component, and why some companies have it and others do not.

Firstly, we should state the obvious that collaboration is not something that you can turn on whenever a cross-departmental project, such as an ERP implementation, comes up. Whether this is a short-term project or a permanent change such as a new ERP system, the skills and the approach must be developed and fostered beforehand and practiced on a long-term basis. It is a vital part of the company culture that begins at onboarding and is practiced everyday by all employees. This is especially true in organizations that have diverse staff working in multiple remote locations, where building an ‘esprit de corps’ can be more challenging.

Leadership

To be successful, collaboration must be noticeably practiced by the leadership team. They set the example, and if they do not demonstrate it in their everyday interactions with staff, customers, and partners then they cannot successfully preach it internally. And preach it they must. All departmental staff must be repeatedly inspired to feel that they are all on the same team and are all sharing the same goal – however they happen to be organized – that they are all in the same boat. Feedback, good and bad, must be encouraged. In short, employees must become very familiar with what collaboration looks like on a daily basis. Bad things happen when individual departments are allowed to compete rather than competing with other companies in the outside world.

Trust

When that happens, there is no trust. Employees hoard and hide their data and their cooperation from each other, there is no knowledge sharing, and there is little belief that other staff will be supportive. They are not part of the same tribe. To achieve true collaboration, executives must invest in generating strong formal and informal, social relationships within the organization. There are many techniques that must be practiced to do this. Some of these include:

Commitment to Knowledge Sharing and Communication

Once trust is established in a supportive environment, then knowledge and expertise sharing are easier for all. Each employee has her own set of skills and once shared in open communication, the organization benefits, and innovation can begin. Employees become committed to the success of others as well as themselves and best practices become a shared resource. And typically, productivity increases as a result.

Create Common Goals and a Dedication to Them

People tend to work better with people they have met, and strong social relationships within the company are a solid basis for collaborative behaviors in core company processes. Leadership must set that agenda. Cross-departmental mentoring can also provide some value. Facilitating informal interactions such as “watercooler” meetings is helpful (especially when many employees are working from home) to continue to build trust-based relationships within the company. Leadership must invest in team building efforts that constantly put employees from different departments together in meaningful activities that support the common goal. Just by creating a shared purpose, they automatically increase collaborative efforts.

Empower Your Teams

In all projects, including shorter term projects, the goals must be clearly articulated, but the means and methods for achieving those goals should be left to the team, and the role of each member should be clearly articulated and understood by all. In that way, a mutually trusting and rewarding experience can be built among all the members. Obviously, team leaders must be chosen carefully, and conflict-resolution and intervention may occasionally be required.

Training and a Culture of Learning

Collaboration skills are not automatically inborn in all individuals and so training and retraining are necessary to develop them. Management must emphasize to all employees that those skills are viewed as a top priority by the leadership team. A culture of learning and innovation is necessary and for this to prevail, leadership must encourage a “trial and error” culture. There are no guilty parties when things fail – just collaborative review, adjustment, and continuous improvement. When things go well, celebrations are in order.

Tools and Technology

Tools that allow sharing of information are important, so for example a common meeting and correspondence repository (our company uses Microsoft Teams) and an integrated ERP system with a common interface, generate a single source of the truth, and eliminate data silos. There are no spreadsheet wars in a collaborative community. The common enemy, if one is needed, is the external competitor rather than anyone or any group with the company. Group KPIs strengthen this culture so that group goals are well communicated. Performance appraisals should include individual AND group goals and assessments. In the same way that collaboration software and processes aid productivity, the physical limitations of traditional office spaces can be eased when employees work in one open physical space. It is easier to think of them as belonging to the same team.

In summary, nourishing your company’s capacity and skills for collaboration requires a long-term dedication to relationship and trust building throughout the company. It demands management commitment. Collaboration is more than cooperation. It requires a well-communicated shared vision and mutual respect. When those things are in place, success in any project becomes a much safer bet.

 

Photo by Freepik.