The term ‘collaboration’ is prevalent at the moment with virtual collaboration at an all-time high and crucial to businesses functioning throughout lockdown. Microsoft Teams is just one of the virtual collaboration platforms that has sky-rocketed over the last year, going from 13 million daily active users in July 2019 to 115 million in October 2020 [1].

*Change in daily active users of Microsoft Teams*

In a world that has become so dependent on global supply chains, as the recent Ever Given Suez Canal fiasco has demonstrated, supply chain collaboration is tantamount to organisational success. It has been shown that collaboration that combines strong relationships and digital advancements can sustain longer-term alliances and augment supply chain resilience. Indeed, 65% of procurement practitioners say procurement is becoming increasingly collaborative with suppliers. With the increasing pace of business today (not to mention the ongoing pandemic), there is new pressure to respond to demands with agility and innovation – and to respond well requires collaboration at all levels of the supply chain. [2]

As we begin to approach the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, this article reflects on what this organisational buzzword really means, and how important collaboration has been in practice for companies in these unprecedented times.

What is ‘Collaboration’ Really?

Working with someone to produce something is the manifest definition of collaboration. However, if we deep-dive into what it really means we see that there are several more involved principles lurking beneath the surface.

Collaboration is when a group of people with different skillsets, problem-solve by sharing goals, resources, knowledge and leadership. It encompasses elements of coordination, cooperation and communication in order to achieve efficiency. Collaboration does not necessarily mean unanimous agreement, which is a common misconception, but it does mean knowledge sharing and appreciating other peoples’ points of view. The fundamental principles that underpin collaboration are outlined below.

Different industries, projects and teams may employ a range of collaborative techniques, but regardless of the technique used, collaboration fosters open communication and productivity among all team members which ultimately nurtures success. With technological advances, workplace collaboration has become easier. For example, cross-organisational knowledge sharing and the development of the new ‘digital workplace’ allows individuals to work anytime, anywhere.

In this new technology-enabled work environment, collaboration can be grouped into three broad categories:

Simple collaboration – this focuses on team conversations, e.g. group brainstorming, open discussions, instant messaging platforms;
Document collaboration – this focuses on deliverables and access to live documents, e.g. through the use of SharePoint and Google Drive it is now possible to have multiple people in different locations working on the same document;
Structured collaboration – this is a more organised and directed form of collaboration, e.g. Q&A forums or collaborative dialogue sessions.

Regardless of grouping, the benefits of collaboration (as detailed in the graphic below) ensure adaptability to respond and problem-solve; this can mitigate risks and ensure resilience in the face of a crisis and explains why organisations are starting to notice the positive impact collaboration can have following COVID-19.

Collaboration and COVID-19

If there is one organisation that has had to adapt its ways of working to overcome significant challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the NHS. Wide-scale sharing of data and care records and the implementation of remote consultations are just two examples of how the NHS has used trust-based collaboration to enable huge healthcare breakthroughs in the last year.

The critical care ventilator situation is another example of where this has been demonstrated. When delivery times were uncertain, collaborating through frequent workshops allowed engagement and communication between the UK Cabinet office, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and other stakeholders, ensured that the NHS had the collaborative toolkit in place to respond to the ever-changing demands of this national crisis.

*Healthcare workers working in an operating theatre*

These examples show that collaboration has been at the heart of what the NHS has achieved over the past year. What makes this even more evident is how the Department of Health and Social Care have outlined their plans for legislative reform of NHS England to include a new duty to collaborate. The white paper “Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all” published in February 2021 informs us that what has gone unseen by many is collaboration itself. It has been the crucial component that has allowed our healthcare workers to offer world-class care to those suffering from COVID-19. Traditional dividing lines and areas of friction between healthcare professionals had to be set aside. This legislation will enable decisions to be taken by joint committees, increasing the efficiency of work and speeding up decision-making.

Conclusion

Throughout this past year, we have all had to adapt the ways we have worked and collaboration has been at the centre of success and will continue to act as a future-proofing tool as we enter into the post-pandemic world.

At Deecon, collaboration is not just one of our core values, it underpins all our ways of working. Our team was quick to adapt to the challenges of remote working and it has been great to see that we can still go above and beyond for our clients despite not always being face to face. Through collaboration, we have been able to consistently deliver exceptional results for our clients in these uncertain times.

Get in touch to find out how our collaborative working can benefit your organisation today.

Words by Zara Ward

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