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Effective communication is essential for a team to function smoothly. Whether it is verbal or non-verbal communication, a clear and open exchange ensures that:

• All team members are well informed, feel heard and understood
• Information is shared efficiently
• Misunderstandings are avoided, and team members are well informed
• Problems are solved, and conflicts are resolved

„100% of miscommunication is 50% your own fault,“ says Melissa Schlimm, founder of Ameliorate GmbH. Communication is a two-way process, and when it fails, both parties need to work on themselves. This is often forgotten, as is the fact that successful communication should be tailored to the recipient.

Try changing your perspective:

• Are you speaking clearly? Not just for yourself as the speaker, but for the listener, without making any assumptions.
• Is your language appropriate for your audience's level of understanding ? Technical terms, jargon, dialect and abbreviations can lead to misunderstandings. Need examples?
  • The CEO mutates into the Chief Engineering Officer.
  • The bank refers to a financial institution, the side of a river, to put something away for later, or a row of series of items.
  • Coherence is assigned a different meaning depending on the subject area. (Optics: the property of light waves; linguistics: the linking of ideas in a text; psychology: cognitive ability to organize information in a coherent and meaningful pattern; electrodynamics: phase relationship between electrical or electromagnetic waves)

Collaboration is created through team members' ability to work together effectively and achieve common goals. This involves using the strengths of each individual member and leveraging synergies. For this to succeed, members not only share their skills and resources, but they also contribute ideas and work together in a coordinated way to successfully complete tasks and projects.

A well-functioning team is characterized by:

• Efficient collaboration in which the strengths of everyone are used, and synergies are created
• Teamwork
• A willingness to share responsibility

In addition to communication,  many other aspects are important for a good collaboration model. Factors such as trust, role clarity, flexibility, and appreciation create an environment where team members can work together efficiently and achieve common goals.

Good collaboration means that every person contributes, whether they are a leader or a team member. Of course, the leader has a strong influence on the collaboration. However, it would be short-sighted for a team member to shirk responsibilities.

The following situation provides a good example of improving collaboration:
In a technology company, management faced the challenge of repositioning itself in a rapidly growing market.  The leadership team recognized that the previous business strategy was no longer sufficient to remain competitive. They saw a solution in establishing a culture of innovation and customer orientation where the collaboration of all employees, regardless of their position, was important.

Culture is the sum of the individuals in a group.

Culture is based on shared values, norms, attitudes, and behaviors that prevail. It shapes the work environment and the relationships among team members.  Consequently, culture influences mutual trust, respect, collaboration, and the level of innovation. A good team culture helps team members feel comfortable, motivated, and able to unleash their full potential. Thus, culture is crucial for team success.