Add any of these 20 collaboration skills to your resume

There’s always one person at work that no one seems to be able to connect to. It might not be something problematic enough to bring to HR, but strained relations can affect company culture and the overall work environment. 

This person might not be trying to be difficult. It’s just that they aren’t as skilled at working with other people. Being likable, dependable, and trustworthy requires  skill—and like all skills, it can be honed.

Whether you’re new to the team or want to build a stronger rapport with members, honing your collaboration skills is a masterful way to enhance your work environment and your personal growth.

• What are Collaboration Skills?
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Adapting to Different Team Dynamics
• Belbin Team Role Theory
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• Conflict Resolution Strategies
• Collaboration Skills to List on Your Resume
• Collaborative Tools and Techniques
• Cultivating a Collaborative Mindset
• Takeaways
• Frequently Asked Questions

What are Collaboration Skills?

Collaboration is a broadly used word and can describe a variety of behaviors. In 1995, Roschelle and Teasley found it necessary to create a distinction between collaborative and cooperative work. 

They defined collaboration as “a coordinated and synchronous activity that is the result of a continued attempt to construct and maintain a shared conception of a problem.” Cooperative work, on the other hand, is accomplished through the division of labor where one person is in charge of one aspect of the overall problem.

Drawing from this distinction, collaboration skills refer to the abilities you employ as you work with others in a group to achieve a shared goal.  These skills are developed not just in working well with others, but in communicating effectively, resolving internal conflict, and creating a safe and healthy working environment for each team member.

The importance of collaboration skills in the modern workplace

A Stanford study found that even just the perception of working together toward a common goal drives the group to stick it out 64% longer than their solitary counterparts. Think of it like solving a jigsaw puzzle alone compared to when you’re with a group. When you know that someone is working equally as hard as you to solve a shared problem, you’re less likely to lose interest and give up.

In the cultural context of the Philippines, it’s important to highlight that social bonds and relations play a central role in Filipino work teams. A study published in the Philippine Journal of Psychology identified three factors deemed important to team effectiveness: team member competencies, quality of relations, and leadership.

The study found that the quality of relations partially mediated the relationship between leadership and team member competence with perceived effectiveness.

How collaboration skills can enhance your career and personal growth

A person who has mastered his or her collaboration skills is someone that a team can look towards for guidance and direction. He or she is an effective communicator, a strong leader, and has a great sense of empathy for the other members of the team.

The Foundations of Collaboration Skills

A successful and collaborative work environment is built on clear communication, emotional intelligence, and trust between team members. Here’s a closer look at each one.

Communication

Communication and collaboration go hand-in-hand. A large part of working collaboratively is ensuring everyone knows their roles and what goal they want to achieve as a team. Collaborative communication happens when there is a seamless exchange of ideas within the group to achieve that goal. You must be able to discuss openly and react sensitively when working with others. 

Here are three ways to improve communication within your team.

Listening actively

When used effectively, active listening can turn a casual conversation into an opportunity to connect with your team members. It involves being open-minded, withholding judgment, and letting the other person know that their ideas are being understood. If you need further clarification, don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions.

Expressing ideas clearly

The goal of communication isn’t just to deliver a thought. It is making sure that the message is understood by all parties involved. Clear communication, whether written or verbal, must be practiced at all times to avoid any misunderstandings.

However, tone and intention can easily get lost in digital communication. One way to avoid this is by pausing for a moment and reading through what you’re about to send. Double-check for any typos and words that could be read as passive-aggressive. You can also throw in a smiling emoji or two if you think it’ll help the recipient understand your tone better.

Asking open-ended questions

Avoiding “Yes or No” questions allows the conversation to flow more smoothly between two individuals. Asking open-ended questions is a great way to build rapport with team members, while also allowing them time to express their answers better or further.

Emotional intelligence

A large part of forming social relations with other members of the team is to tap into your Emotional Quotient (EQ). Emotional intelligence is one of the soft skills that employers value. It’s an ability that can be identified by the following.

Empathy

To build trust, team members must be able to understand and empathize with each other. The ability to show deep concern (“malasakit”) for an individual’s personal stories and experiences creates a familial environment where communication flows without apprehension for judgment.

Self-awareness

Each member is also responsible for identifying his or her own emotions and the actions that stem from them. This could be anything from speaking too loud while others are working or yelling at a coworker whenever something stressful comes up. Reflect on why this behavior keeps popping up and how it can negatively affect those around you.

Recognizing patterns in your behavior that might make other members of the team uncomfortable is an important part of collaborating. 

Self-regulation

After recognizing your own emotions and behavior, it’s also important to regulate them. When tensions are high, you must be able to shift your perspective inward and manage your behavior to mitigate the situation. For instance, if you tend to snap at people when you’re stressed, it’s best to let the group know you need a few minutes to remove yourself from the situation. 

Trust-building

Giving trust to each member of the team creates more meaningful work relationships. It’s a two-way street. For example, a team member must trust the authority and competency of their team lead in providing constructive criticism, while a leader must trust that their team can accomplish tasks without the need for micromanagement. 

It can be gained by expressing the following:

Honesty and transparency

The most important aspect of trust-building is integrity. How can you ask your team members to trust you if you aren’t being completely honest with them? Be transparent with your colleagues about your thoughts and feelings, especially when it’s related to the task at hand. As important as it is to share the milestones you’ve achieved as a team, it’s also necessary to be honest about any obstacles you have come across. 

For example, your team may have successfully launched a new product ad, but engagement is low in your target demographic. Call a meeting to let your team know and assess what needs to be done to remedy the situation. This can show that your trust in their skills and expertise is unwavering even in the face of a setback.

Dependability

Becoming a dependable person isn’t based on what you say. it’s based on your follow-through. People need to see that you listen to what they say and that you keep your promises. This is especially evident in work-from-home situations where you’re allowed to work with minimum to no supervision. If you accomplish your tasks on time, accept constructive criticism, and continue performing well, then your superiors and other team members will see how dependable you are.

Respecting confidentiality

Trust is built on actions rather than words. In a professional setting, you’re expected not to disclose any sensitive information related to the company to others. On a personal level, when a member of your team tells you something in confidence, you should know that it’s not your place to mention it to anyone else. No one wants to be friends with the office Marites, let alone trust them with their secrets.

Collaborative Problem Solving

When a situation calls for one correct answer, it’s best left to the most competent individual for the role. However, when a problem is more complex or open-ended, it’s best resolved by a group with multiple ideas. Empowered groups allow each member to present their ideas and opinions to find the best possible solution. This is where you’ll best see teamwork and collaboration in action.

Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) is used as a way to develop solutions for non-routine problems. Individuals work interdependently to achieve a certain goal. Let’s break this down into a step-by-step process.

Identifying common goals

Before anything else, set expectations for openness and respect. One way of identifying common goals is to draw attention to an issue that affects all members of the team. You can also let each member identify their individual goals and group commonalities together. together which are commonalities.

Brainstorming and idea generation

Invite the team to brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. Gather ideas making sure that everyone has the chance to share their thoughts on the matter. This ensures that the whole group is empowered. Idea generation embraces two strategies, namely:

• Divergent thinking - This type of thinking involves brainstorming multiple possible answers to a problem
• Convergent thinking - On the other hand, this focuses on finding one well-thought-out solution for a specific problem

Evaluating and prioritizing ideas

After gathering the ideas of the group, it’s time to analyze the options presented and evaluate which strategy works best for the problem-solving process. Prioritize solutions by feasibility and effectiveness, while being upfront about possible drawbacks.

For example, your team might be dealing with declining social media engagement. One proposed solution is to analyze what other competitors are doing. This could be effective in drawing engagement, however, it will be difficult to stand out when your social media posts are similar to everyone else’s in the industry.

Developing action plans

Once a consensus is reached, develop steps for implementation. This could be concerning funding, supervision, and how the plan will be enforced.

Implementing solutions and monitoring progress

The process doesn’t stop at implementation. Once the plan is set in motion, reconvene with your team and discuss the results. What worked? What didn’t? What can be adjusted to better address the problem?

While it’s true that reaching a solution as a team is a win in and of itself, collective success should always be celebrated. Not only does it promote a holistic understanding of the business, but it also allows each member to feel like they have a personal stake in the organization. This then solidifies company loyalty and heightens motivation.

Adapting to Different Team Dynamics

It’s not always easy to foster a collaborative mindset with every person in a group. Different groups might not work together easily. This is where adaptability comes into play.

Team Dynamics focuses on how the group collaborates which includes the roles they fulfill and how they communicate with each other. The dynamics of the team have a large impact on their motivation, performance, and output. 

The team must be adaptable to changes to maintain their ability to be effective. Adding one person with a different personality or removing just one person from a team can substantially change the dynamics of the group. This can look like different things: new members integrating into the established dynamic, or a new team setting a period of observation to understand and identify each member’s strengths and weaknesses.

A large part of understanding team dynamics is knowing your role within the group. When you know your role, you know what’s expected of you, making it easier for you to communicate collaboratively with the rest of the team.

Belbin Team Role Theory

Dr. Meredith Belbin originally identified the Team Role Theory in a business simulation game at Henley Business School. He would later expound on the theory in his seminal book “Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail” which would become one of the top 50 management books of all time. He theorized that nine Team Role behaviors need to be represented to build high-performing teams:

The Social Roles

These team members utilize their networking and communication skills to complete tasks. They are the most intuitive and empathetic to the other members’ needs and are the key to the group’s cohesion.

• Resource Investigator

• Teamworker

• Coordinator

The Thinking Roles

These members are the critical thinkers of the group. They present new ideas and perspectives and analyze information by weighing the pros and cons or by presenting specialized knowledge on the topic.

• Plant

• Monitor Evaluator

• Specialist

The Action or Task Roles

These members are known for being action-oriented. The group relies on them to complete tasks, meet deadlines, and respond quickly to challenges that may arise.

• Shaper

• Implementer

• Completer Finisher

Belbin found that the most successful teams were composed of individuals with a diverse mix of behaviors. Discover your Team Role combination with a Belbin Individual Report and find out how you can best contribute to the team.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed in the United States by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katherine Myers, to make the insights of type theory accessible to all. The two were self-taught in psychometric testing and developed the instrument after World War II.

The test is simple— you identify and select your preference between four dichotomies and the result will be one of 16 distinctive personality types. In the MBTI® Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, the four dichotomies are listed and described as:

• Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I) - This pertains to whether you prefer focusing on your inner or outer world.

• Sensing (S) or Intuition (N) - This pertains to whether you focus on the basic information you take in or interpret and add meaning to them.

• Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) - This describes whether you first prefer to look at logic and consistency or people and circumstances in decision-making.

• Judging (J) or Perceiving (P) - When it comes to the outside world, this describes whether you prefer to get things decided or to stay open to new information.

Knowing the personality types of your team members may help you better understand how they perceive things. Better yet, it helps you realize how you react to certain situations allowing you to get a clearer picture of your personality type within the group. If you do not know your MBTI type, you can take the instrument online.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but you must always be prepared to handle and resolve these disagreements sensibly. It’s also important to be able to identify toxic behaviors that can degrade the group’s morale. These behaviors can present themselves as playing the blame game or an increase in burnout. When two team members appear to be incompatible in a scenario, this would be called a “conflict situation”.

Researchers Dr. Kenneth Thomas and Dr. Ralph Kilmann, both professors of management at the University of Pittsburgh, co-created the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI) assessment tool in the early 1970s to measure a person’s behavior in these aforementioned conflict situations.

Every person has a different way of responding to conflict based on two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness. Based on the two dimensions, the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument presents five conflict resolution strategies:

Based on the image above, a person might respond to conflict by being unassertive and uncooperative thereby avoiding it altogether. This person might sidestep the issue or withdraw from the situation altogether. On the other hand, if a person is assertive and cooperative in the face of conflict, he or she would be described as collaborating. This involves attempting to work with others to find solutions that satisfy all parties involved.

No one is limited to just one mode of response, but everyone tends to rely on one more than the others whether due to temperament or practice. The instrument can help you better understand how each team member responds to conflict, making it easier to move forward in the conflict resolution discussion.

Other Ways to Improve Team Dynamics

• Maintaining a positive atmosphere

• Supporting and motivating team members

• Giving constructive feedback

• Recognizing and celebrating achievements

Collaboration Skills to List on Your Resume

Having a dedicated skills section is a great way to set your resume apart from other applicants. Take this a step further by not just listing the collaboration skills but also mentioning who you collaborated with to achieve a certain goal. Instead of simply saying, “Teamwork skills”, you can say, “Collaborated with the marketing team to launch a new product”.

Here are some examples of 20 skills that you can add to your resume: 

• Active listening

• Teamwork skills

• Flexibility and compromise

• Interpersonal relationships

• Conflict resolution

• Open-mindedness

• Constructive feedback

• Organizational skills

• Remote Collaboration

• Collaborative tools

• Project management

• Meeting facilitation

• Task delegation

• Team motivation

• Conflict management

• Creative problem-solving

• Data analysis

• Communication skills

• Empathy and understanding

• Decision-making skills

Collaborative Tools and Techniques

Adaptability isn’t just for different team personalities, it’s also for ever-changing work environments. Whether or not your company follows the conventional 9 to 5 work model or is trying out a three-day workweek, it’s important to have the right collaboration tools to maintain work efficiency.

Project management tools

These tools allow your employer to facilitate and sort through projects remotely with the help of to-do lists and agenda boards.

• Trello

• Asana

• Basecamp

Communication platforms

Working collaboratively often calls for quick exchanges. These tools help speed up communication between team members.

• Slack

• Microsoft Teams

• Zoom

Document sharing and collaboration

One of the best examples of working collaboratively is data sharing. The following tools can help streamline the sharing and editing process of online files and documents.

• Google Workspace

• Microsoft 365

• Dropbox Paper

Cultivating a Collaborative Mindset

Before anything else, management must clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the team members. It’s also important to be upfront about what the workplace is like so that members can figure out where they stand.

But even with all that, a culture of collaboration in the workplace doesn’t happen overnight. Here are a few steps you can take to help cultivate a collaborative mindset.

Recognizing and overcoming personal barriers

Sometimes, we place barriers around ourselves to protect ourselves from real or perceived harm. This could be anything from fear of failure and resistance to change, to plain old ego and competition.

However, personal development happens outside of your comfort zone. When you recognize the limiting beliefs you’ve placed upon yourself, you’re taking the first step towards opportune growth. Once you overcome these barriers, it not only benefits you but the rest of the team as well.

Encouraging openness and inclusivity

An organization that doesn’t foster inclusivity should be a giant red flag for job seekers. Inclusivity is nurtured when a company makes its members feel seen and heard regardless of who they are or what they identify as.

Providing opportunities for team-building activities

Human beings are social creatures. While it’s important to maintain a level of professionalism, team-building activities are a way for members to bond and interact on a social level.

Rewarding and recognizing collaborative efforts

In a collaborative work culture, all members set each other up for success. Each win should always be celebrated as it promotes a sense of belonging and a positive atmosphere within the workplace.

Also read: 10 Effective Tips to Improve Teamwork in the Workplace

Takeaways

When it comes down to it, mastering collaboration skills can only help you further your career and personal development. There are several advantages to improving collaboration within your organization which include:

• Exposure to diverse ideas and perspectives

• Increased motivation and sense of accountability

• Better communication across the board

• Heightened empathy and understanding

• Continuous improvement and staying adaptable in a changing world

Put your collaboration skills to the test by visiting our Career Advice section. #SEEKBetter jobs that will help you grow as a team player by downloading the JobStreet app on Google Play or App Store.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I improve my collaboration skills?
   ⁠You can improve your collaboration skills by communicating clearly, empathizing with your team members, and fostering trust within the group. It also helps to have a clear picture of your role and personality type.
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2. What are some common challenges faced when collaborating with others?
   ⁠One of the most common challenges in collaborations is misunderstandings brought about by miscommunication. Different personality types might perceive things differently, especially in a digital landscape. A lack of trust and mutual respect can often hinder the collaborative process.
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3. How do you handle difficult team members in a collaborative setting?
   ⁠Dealing with difficult team members requires balance. Before addressing the person, pinpoint what exactly the issue is and how it’s affecting the group. Pull the person aside and find a way to resolve the issue together. Offer gentle reminders if the behavior persists and most importantly, be patient. It may take a while for the person to break away from their patterns.
   ⁠
4. How can introverts excel at collaboration?
   ⁠Introverts excel at building professional relationships. Although a large social gathering can be uncomfortable for introverts, they do enjoy a level of socialization with other people. They’re great listeners and, because they hold great value for the exchanges they have with their team, they make sure to follow through with their promises.
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5. How can remote teams enhance their collaboration skills?
   ⁠The importance of having the right collaboration tools is highlighted when working remotely. Everything from project management to document sharing can be streamlined with the right software.