How to Promote Collaboration in a Virtual World
Because We’re All Working in Virtual Environments Now.
“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people,” said Steve Jobs, capturing the importance of collaboration and the collective pursuit of a shared mission. Indeed, our greatest successes and accomplishments are rarely the result of solo efforts, but through the combined efforts of a group. As Reid Hoffman put it,
“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.”
And yet, we continue to create work environments that discourage our ability to collaborate effectively. Remote offices, virtual reporting, and flexible schedules are great benefits, but they rarely help us to collaborate better. And they lead to a more ineffective overall company.
Or so the typical story goes.
There’s no shortage of published opinions on the benefits and drawbacks of virtual teams. And they all largely say the same things. They provide greater opportunities for focus, but less for collaboration. They give people more freedom, yet inhibit feelings of belonging.
