“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

There’s a reason this proverb is often quoted by politicians and business leaders. Collaboration has been essential for advancement throughout human history. In modern-day business, it’s necessary for growth and success.

Work is increasingly complex, with new specialties arising as technology and business practices develop. Bringing diverse ideas and perspectives together produces better output.

In this guide, we explore the importance of collaboration, highlighting examples of what collaboration in the workplace looks like today. Read on for the best examples of responsible collaboration.

First, what is collaboration in the workplace?

Before we dig into the specific benefits of collaboration in the workplace, let’s define what it is. Workplace collaboration is when team members work together to achieve a common goal.

This means encouraging open and frequent communication, motivating employees to bring their ideas to the table and contribute their skills regardless of rank.

Teams can leverage software solutions to make collaboration easier, especially when working remotely. Some of these tools include video conferencing platforms, digital messaging platforms, and tools for secure cloud file collaboration. The right tools can introduce workflows that speed up the collaborative process, helping teams get work done and solve problems faster.

In the following sections, we’ll explore why a collaborative workplace matters and what the three c’s of collaboration are.

Why is a collaborative workplace important?

Bringing diverse ideas together makes teams more likely to come up with creative solutions to challenges.

Teamwork promotes a sense of camaraderie, which contributes to employee satisfaction.

Productivity increases with a positive work environment and a collaborative culture, because staff members are more comfortable relying on one another. Data shows that highly engaged businesses see a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity due to better collaboration.

What are the three c’s of collaboration?

The three c’s of collaboration are:

• Cooperation: The process of working together to reach the same goal.
• Communication: How information is exchanged.
• Coordination: The way a team is organized in order to work together effectively.

By optimizing each of these, teams can develop practices that create the ideal collaborative environment.

9 team collaboration benefits and examples to boost productivity, satisfaction, and innovation

Let’s explore the top 9 benefits of collaboration and dig into some examples of how collaboration promotes these benefits in the modern workplace.

1. Increased productivity

When teams collaborate effectively, it leads to a more productive workforce and improved decision-making.

Collaboration heightens team members’ awareness of each other's skills and strengths, increasing their ability to consult each other for specific needs. One study shows that workers who are open to collaboration stick to tasks 64% longer than those who are not. They also report higher engagement, lower fatigue, and greater professional success.

When a lack of collaboration leads to poor execution, it can impede productivity. Teams may struggle to make the best use of their time because they don’t understand each other's capabilities or bandwidth.

Digital tools can empower collaboration that leads to increased productivity. Some of these include file sharing software, messaging platforms, and shared digital workspaces for brainstorming.

The real estate industry is a good example here. Realtors at an agency can work together to divide up open house hosting tasks so they can cover the most ground. This lets them be more productive, staging all the showings on their list while keeping up with other responsibilities.

2. Enhanced creativity

Enhanced creativity means that companies can come up with original ideas and new approaches to problems. Having every team member contribute their perspectives and opinions leads to more creative ideas and better business outcomes.

Not enabling collaboration to enhance creativity can cause stagnancy. Companies need new and inventive ideas to build competitive strategies and deliver impactful solutions.

To foster innovation, encourage team members to build off of each other’s ideas and support an environment where staff feel encouraged to suggest creative solutions.

Think about a law firm working on a dispute between two companies. The team members work individually to come up with ideas for how to approach the case before coming together as a group to discuss. During the meeting, one colleague is inspired by another’s idea, and suggests a creative alteration. Another suggests an additional change based on an idea of his own. This shared creativity led to an innovative approach to the dispute.

3. Welcoming company culture

A welcoming culture means that all staff feel empowered to participate in the workplace. Company culture impacts employee satisfaction and can improve a company’s reputation. In fact, there’s evidence that a positive work environment has the power to improve employee performance and commitment to an organization.

Companies can develop a negative company culture when poor collaboration leads to disengaged employees.

To combat this, support practices that increase collaboration. For example, hold brainstorming sessions so team members can connect in positive environments. Implements tools that enable teams to work on documents together in real-time. Make promoting a better working environment part of your strategic approach to company culture.

4. Improved employee retention

People want to work at companies that value their ideas and contributions. When people feel like they’re part of the same team, they’re more likely to be engaged with their jobs — and engagement leads to 21% lower turnover.

A lack of collaboration can have the opposite effect. Employees are more likely to leave if they are frustrated by problems that arise from a lack of communication. They can become dissatisfied with a lack of team camaraderie.

Always collect feedback from current employees, as well as from exit interviews, and implement practices and technology solutions that improve collaboration.

Construction companies can struggle with a high turnover rate for project managers. During exit interviews, a common complaint is difficulty communicating changes to site supervisors, estimators, and other stakeholders. You can improve collaboration between project managers and other key staff members by implementing a messaging platform and an intuitive file sharing software.

5. Fewer errors

Even with diligent staff, errors happen. Putting work through multiple reviews increases the likelihood errors will be caught. This practice is especially important during busy times, when team members are tired from working longer hours than usual.

When teams don’t collaborate on review processes, it can result in mistakes that decrease client satisfaction — or more serious consequences. In a healthcare setting, for instance, teamwork is essential to avoid errors that would impact patient outcomes: working together decreases the clinical error rate from 30.9% to 4.4%.

Regardless of industry, it’s best to establish a thorough review process that has teams working together on quality assurance. With technology designed to ease collaboration, these reviews can be more efficient and accurate.

6. Effective remote teams

By the end of 2025, an estimated 14% of U.S. adults will be working from home — a five-fold increase from the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

While remote work is a great way to provide flexibility and a healthy work-life balance, a lack of effective collaboration can impact quality and productivity. Tools enabling seamless collaboration can help dispersed teams avoid repetitive work, missed deadlines, and other negative impacts of ineffective teamwork.

Insurance underwriters provide a tangible example. They need to be able to collaborate effectively, regardless of where they are working. Video call services and digital collaboration tools are a must. File-sharing software is particularly helpful for easily working together on documents with the same level of encrypted file collaboration they had in the office.

7. More opportunities for career growth

Learning from each other is one of the best ways for employees to grow.

More opportunity to interact with skilled colleagues helps career development. Collaborating with colleagues from different departments may inspire staff to pursue specialty career paths.

Discouraging collaboration in this regard can result in dissatisfied and disengaged employees, as 19% of workers say that the lack of a mentor holds back their career. It’s important to support working relationships that empower staff to advance professionally.

A new nurse at a hospital will likely want to establish themselves as an essential part of the team quickly. Having mentors in place to support newcomers will help them to improve and grow. It may also unlock a desire for mentors to take on new roles, becoming more involved with staff education.

8. Fewer vertical hierarchy barriers

Vertical hierarchy barriers refer to how organizational structure can impede communication. With effective collaboration, these barriers are broken down and ideas from all levels can contribute to a company’s success.

Allowing vertical hierarchy barriers to become part of company culture is a disadvantage. Good ideas can come from anyone on staff, regardless of their role or experience. Yet according to Harvard Business Review research, a top reason companies aren’t collaborative is senior managers don’t want to give up control.

By promoting teamwork, respect, and innovation over hierarchy, companies can benefit from the unique perspectives and problem-solving capabilities of all employees.

In financial services, younger, newer employees may be silent during team discussions. Encouraging these employees to share their ideas can result in more ideas around how to solve challenges. These contributions help move initiatives forward and keep people at all levels engaged in their work.

9. Greater potential for change

When teams work well together, they’re more likely to be able to quickly adapt to new strategies and market changes.

Across industries, it can be scary to approach change. But when you implement the right changes that will help employee collaboration and workflow, the benefits are big. For example, inputting a new document management system to streamline information sharing, or building work groups and committees to manage specific processes.

Markets favor businesses that adjust to trends and stand out from the competition. A lack of collaboration leads to stagnancy, but when team members bring diverse perspectives together, they drive positive change and gain a competitive edge.

Related Read ShareFile® named a top collaboration choice for SMBs

Get the most out of team collaboration benefits

All companies, regardless of industry, are more creative, productive, and successful with strong collaboration. It’s important to be aware of the benefits of collaboration and, if necessary, make adjustments to improve how employees work together.

As shown in the examples above, encouraging changes in company culture and implementing tools to improve team communication and workflows boosts collaboration.

Effective file sharing collaboration is essential for teamwork. Find out how ShareFile can help your team unlock all the benefits of effective workplace collaboration.