Anybody that has worked on a project involving managers from different departments knows how quickly the project’s momentum can come to a halt. When employees receive inconsistent requests and tasks from management, work can become complicated and counterproductive. This lack of collaboration can hinder the execution of your project and ultimately impact your profit. How can you tell if your business has a collaboration problem? Here are three key symptoms.
Too Many Chiefs
It’s good when everyone feels pride and personal ownership of a project. However, when anyone with a voice is trying to direct work, confusion ensues. Clearly defining the decision-makers will keep your staff productive. Employees need to know where to direct questions, ideas and issues and from whom to receive direction. Management also needs to clarify who gives input and who will give ultimate approval on key matters.
Misaligned Goals
The people within your business may often find themselves at odds regarding what metrics they use to measure success. Each part of your business needs help from others, but they’re going to give first priority to the things for which they are being held accountable. If different departments are pushing conflicting priorities, it’s difficult for team members to understand where they should be devoting their time and energy. Focus on establishing clear, common goals and prioritise them for everyone so there’s no confusion about how much attention each area deserves.
Poor Quality Decisions
Does your team find itself backtracking on a decision or worse, calling in the senior management team to fix a mess that could have been avoided if only they had been consulted in the first place? Poor decision-making, lack of buy-in from key stakeholders and general confusion can all indicate a larger underlying problem. If a key department or perspective is being left out of the decision-making process, a lack of buy-in is only the beginning.