Topic 1: What is Collaborating with others in teams and networks ?
Collaborating with others in teams and networks consists of organizing, carrying out, and assessing collaborative actions with partners or teams openly and on mutually agreed conditions, while demonstrating respect for the abilities, experiences, and contributions of others. The following essential notions have been recognized as stand-alone:
- Establishing a professional network and building links with others: Networking is the capacity to exchange ideas and information with organizations and people that have common interests in order to build long-term relationships for mutual benefit. Although social and professional online networks – such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc. – are important, networking goes beyond that and implies a two-way process of interchanging knowledge.
- To form strong networking links, you must engage in human encounters, preferably in person, at least once. This is why it is important to participate in conferences, events, and seminars, since they are all opportunities to develop personal life contacts that can be continued through technology. Also, networking for the purpose of creating connections often fails to provide results. As is the case with many things, it’s beneficial to have a Vision or Purpose while setting up your Network. This enables you to be focused, but most importantly, genuine.
- Sharing knowledge and information: Employees’ knowledge and skills are a business’s most valuable asset. Frequently, individuals apply their expertise and insights to their tasks and keep them to themselves, impeding the company’s success. Sharing information has several benefits: it enables you to develop, maintain motivation, get recognition, produce new ideas, and instils a feeling of purpose in the whole organization, among others.
- Collaborating in teams: Teamwork is the collaborative activity of individuals working efficiently toward a common objective. The strength of a team is built on mutual support, effective communication, self-sufficiency, autonomy, defined responsibilities, defined leadership, and the resources necessary to accomplish the shared purpose. To successfully collaborate in a team, a person needs to be open-minded, good communicator, organised, build long-term thinking, adaptable and be able to debate in a sound manner.