While we hear a lot about collaborative work, the difference between “collaborative” and “cooperative” work modes is not always very clear. Explanations!
What is the collaborative working mode?
By default, the work can often seem collaborative, when in fact it is mostly about… cooperation. In a cooperative mode, In this system, work is carried out according to a division in which each person is responsible for a part of the project: it is therefore a distribution of tasks among the various actors.
The Collaborative mode bring the employees together to work together without a precise assignment of tasks. The group relies on the pooling of individual skills to achieve a shared goal. But how do we ensure that we are truly in a collaborative mode? And what does it bring to the company?
How does collaborative work translate in the company?
Collaborators use the collaborative mode in a free engagement logic, in line with their own skills. This method allows projects to be accelerated and teams to be energized.
With a collaborative approach, each employee is ready and able to bring skills, creative ideas, and commitment to serve a common goal (especially in innovation initiatives). Each will then determine their contribution to the project. The innovative idea can be brought by any employee, whether they are in accounting, marketing, customer relations, or human resources.
The implementation of a collaborative working mode requires that each actor:
- Equal sharing of rights
- Humility
- Mutual trust
- Involvement
The company’s framework must also be conducive to the development of a collaborative mode:
- Top Management plays a key role in bringing the collective vision and ambition to life.
- The Agile manager creates the framework for collaboration that allows trust, conviviality, and the free expression of each and every one: we move from reporting Classic interactions are more regular but easier thanks to everyone’s responsibility and autonomy. In short, the entire company becomes more agile.
- The availability of tools can also facilitate the process: Trello or Asana for project tracking, Slack, Padlet or Klaxoon for sharing ideas or information… or simply the existing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) network if its use is appropriate to the collaborative approach.
The collaborative mode is also being presented through ”approaches”low tech”(take out your pencils) thanks to new workspaces. More open, adapted to the different situations of collaboration, they encourage the sharing of information and make it easier to collaborate. graphic facilitation as well as visual management.
What are the benefits of collaborative work for the company?
Collaborative work develops collective intelligence. By working in this way, the company creates the conditions to bring out the creative potential of each and every one of its employees in the service of innovation. This creativity enables the development of new products or services, for example. The involvement of the employees is stronger thanks to this way of working, and the company’s performance is thus multiplied.
Thus, The collaborative work mode is based mostly on the collaboration of the employees. which brings several positive points:
- More meaning in work
- More well-being (2 times more than with conventional projects)
- Better valorization of their skills and soft skills
- The satisfaction of contributing effectively and quickly to the results!
To achieve this, the collaborators must also adjust their existing practices to develop their collaborative capacity. Skills in relationships, practice Agile methods And the mastery of certain new tools will be necessary to promote this new way of working. But above all, it will be a question of developing a new mindset that breaks down individual interests and promotes the sharing of information.
Ultimately, if each employee feels valued, empowered, and engaged in projects, and if their skills are better utilized, the company will automatically see a greater commitment from its teams. In this sense, the collaborative mode is a fantastic way to combine economic performance and well-being at work.
Attention! Although the results of the collaborative working mode are encouraging, implementing such an approach may not be intuitive for traditional companies. In addition to the exemplary behavior of top management on this matter, it is necessary to consider both an evolution of managerial skills and the support of all the teams involved.
Testimony Sosh
