Today, both for-profit and non-profit companies have recognized the value of collaborations. While profit-oriented organizations have long realized the many benefits that collaboration between organizations can give, nonprofits are starting to learn a few benefits such as: saving costs through sharing administrative expenses; expanding value propositions; improving efficiency; strengthening programs; make use of compatible skills and abilities; and improve leadership skills.
Benefits of collaboration between organizations
Collaboration in organizations bring with them potential benefits such as the following:
- Synergy. The sum of the whole is bigger than the sum of each part. Working together collaboratively can result in greater accomplishments as compared to each organization working on its own separately.
- Sharing resources. When collaborating with another company, there will always be things and resources that they can share. One company may be an expert in one field and can help the other company learn about it.
- Overcoming obstacles. When an organization encounters problems that hinder it from achieving its goals, the other organization may be able to help out. Besides, partnerships, coalitions and networks are more powerful than organizations that operate on their own.
- Increased community awareness. By getting involved and by being a part of bigger organizations and groups, your organization’s message is better relayed to the community.
- Access to constituents and funding. Partnering with other organizations can give you the benefit of more grant opportunities as well as make a bridge for more exposure.
Organization collaboration: Team efforts and collaboration
While collaboration organization can greatly benefit partner organizations, this holds true with project team collaboration.
- The team members work together to achieve common goals. Team collaboration presents the teamwork principles because they know that people achieve more when they are in a collaborative mode.
- Synergy. Working together makes everyone wins and synergy manifests itself in reduced costs, more flexibility in adapting to changes, and increased capabilities.
- Innovation. Collaboration in organizations especially team collaboration offers various perspectives for problem solving and innovation.
- Stability and information. As one of the benefits of collaboration between organizations, collaborating between team members also result in the transfer of knowledge and since this information is being practiced, there is a strong possibility of retention.
The benefits of collaboration between organizations as well as team collaborations don’t exist without a few challenges. As with team collaboration, there is a need to keep team resources functional and the organization’s structure needs to be adapted for a teamwork-conducive environment. Among the other challenges in a successful organization collaboration or team collaboration are the lack of trust, ineffective communication, and unstable momentum.
By combining knowledge, skills and experiences, organizations and team members can accomplish more than if they worked alone. It is important that collaborative organizations or collaborating teams trust each other and communicate effectively so that they can overcome the challenges brought about by the benefits of collaboration. The benefits don’t come for free. Amidst its benefits are the challenges that need to be overcome. Organization management and project managers as well need to find ways to create a successful collaboration.
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