10 Ideas for HR To Improve Collaboration

In our organization, and in many other organizations, an important question is: How can we improve collaboration?

Collaboration is the most important ingredient of success at all levels in the organisation, Globally, regionally, in countries, between countries, in teams and in projects.There is an enormous opportunity for HR to increase impact by designing interventions that can help to improve collaboration.

HR can use these 10 Ideas for improving collaboration:

  • Make the ability to collaborate an important element in the selection of new people.
  • Hire people who already have a good (international) network, and who have a proven track record of collaboration.
  • Do not hire individuals, but hire teams of people who have already worked together for years (the longer a team works together, the more effective a team becomes).
  • Invest in collaboration tools (such as Yammer), and as HR give the good example by using the tool in projects and programs.
  • Make collaboration an integral part of all training/ development activities. All of our global leadership programs now start with a virtual teaming phase, where the participants collaborate in a virtual team working on a strategic assignment, before they physically meet.
  • Map the relevant networks in your organization, detect the natural collaborators and ask them to move to strategic nodes in the network where there impact can even be bigger.
  • Reward collaboration, by rewarding teams and individuals who enhance collaboration.
  • Invest in Community Facilitators (see blog The Future of HR nr. 20), who stimulate communities and facilitate learning in communities.
  • Change the job title from CHRO to CCO (Chief Collaboration Officer), to mark the importance of collaboration
  • Involve young generations (Gen Y) in all your projects, as their natural way of working is collaborative and inclusive, and older generations can benefit from their approach.

More suggestions most welcome!

This article is contributed by Tom Haak. He is the Corporate Director- HR for ARCADIS. Tom has over 30 years of experience in Human Resources.

Jappreet Sethi

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Jappreet Sethi
Jappreet Sethi, CEO and founder of HexGn, stands out as a strategic human resource management and entrepreneurial mentorship expert. Under his leadership, HexGn, known for its dynamic community of serial entrepreneurs and industry experts, has trained over 5000 entrepreneurs from 20+ countries, reinforcing its global impact in entrepreneurial education. Sethi’s extensive experience includes strategic government projects, developing e-commerce strategies, and authoring white papers on technology in internal security. His international workshops have spanned 15 countries, aiding participants and clients in raising investments. His tenure as head of People and Process Consulting at Jones Lang LaSalle India and his role on JLL's global Diversity board reflect his deep understanding of organizational dynamics and transformative change. A certified facilitator with an impressive track record in leadership development, Sethi’s expertise in process management is evident in his achievements as a Six Sigma Black Belt and master lean practitioner. He’s also a visiting faculty member at leading institutes, a prominent speaker, and the founder and lead editor of the acclaimed HR blog, humanresourcesblog.in. Recognized as a top HR influencer, Sethi's unique blend of strategic HR expertise, global mentorship, and organizational transformation insight makes him an invaluable asset in guiding companies through growth and innovation.

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