Many organizations depend on staff to work together as part of a team, even in today's remote work settings. After all, people working together, in theory, can achieve more and be more effective than one person working alone. As a result, we need to bridge this expanding gap with communication and collaboration tools. 

Organizations must go beyond the typical phone call and email to keep their workers connected as more remote and flexible working options develop worldwide. However, getting to the bottom of communication vs collaboration isn't as straightforward as most people believe. 

Today, we’re going to discuss similarities and differences between a communicator and collaborator so you can start working toward a more effective workflow. 

Communication vs Collaboration 

Communications and collaboration are commonplace buzzwords these days. You're probably using some form of communication and collaboration tools, regardless of what industry you work in, whether you're a small business or a major corporation, a distributed group, or an office-based team. 

What is Communication? 

Communication is the exchange of information inside and outside of a company. However, we rarely consider how we communicate with others since it is a regular part of our lives. This holds true for corporate communication as well. Organizations, after all, are made up of real people, not inanimate objects. 

Effective communication can positively affect processes, efficiency, and every company layer. 

Through successful corporate communication, employees and management work together to achieve organizational goals. Its goal is to improve administrative processes and reduce errors. 

The corporate communication process underpins all structured actions in a business. Anything from CEO communication to vendor communication might fall under this category. 

The company's critical operations are at risk of collapsing if communication breaks down. 

What is Collaboration? 

Collaboration is when two or more people work together to achieve a shared objective through thinking and exchanging ideas. It differs from teamwork in that cooperation frequently includes a physical component in order to achieve a goal. 

Technology improvements (such as video conferencing, high-speed internet, file sharing, email, and cloud-based programs) have made it quicker and more comfortable for employees to interact with than ever before. 

Employee cooperation may now occur in real-time, either face to face or through a collaborative platform. Working remotely is no longer unusual; thus, sharing ideas digitally has become more prevalent. 

What is Collaborative Communication? 

Collaborative communication is a communication technique that emphasizes the relevance of each person engaged in the conversation. In an organization, collaborative communication allows each employee to express their opinion on the company's activities. 

The personality of a collaborative communicator allows a flexible kind of communication that acknowledges and values the contributions of the whole workforce, making people feel appreciated since they are always heard when they share their thoughts. 

Furthermore, it promotes transparency in the workplace and the sharing of similar ideas among employees as they work toward a common objective. It is a technique that may be utilized to outperform the competition in the marketplace. This is because it allows employees to demonstrate their creativity, ingenuity, and problem-solving abilities in the face of organizational problems that might impede the company's progress. 

How are the Concepts of Communication and Collaboration Related? 

Typically, you wouldn’t try to differentiate collaboration vs communication since they are two notions that are meant to complement one another. You can't cooperate with someone until you've first communicated with them. However, just because the concepts are linked does not imply that they are the same thing. Today's corporations are still trying to comprehend this concept. 

Being a collaborative communicator is a crucial component of a creative and effective partnership. It occurs at all contact points and among all players, effectively lubricating the wheels of collaboration. 

Without the assistance of good communication, effective collaboration is impossible. And practical cooperation entails more than delegating duties and putting together a final result. It's more about cultivating a genuine desire to achieve a common goal by exchanging knowledge, ideas, and learning to create a consensus. Open cooperation entails developing an atmosphere of openness, mutual respect, and trust. As a result, providing a variety of communication channels to assist collaborative teams is an essential aspect of the process. 

Everyone should be using the same communication platform for communication to be productive. Although a corporation would not consider having numerous sales databases or work-order management systems, many organizations use a variety of solutions to streamline company-wide interactions, resulting in fragmented communication between teams and departments. 

When a company implements these technologies, it creates a unified communications platform that allows employees to collaborate and become more productive. It's as simple as that: greater cooperation equals more company success. 

Nurturing Communication and Collaboration in Your Workforce 

Traditional, hierarchical organizational structures are being phased out in favor of flatter ones with more open communication channels. In today's business, flexibility is the norm, with more employees telecommuting and working flexible hours at least part of the time. 

On the other hand, each team will need to invest time in developing a suitable atmosphere before collaborating effectively. This entails defining and conveying the roles and responsibilities of team members so that everyone understands their involvement in the process. Uncertainty or a lack of clarity about duties and expectations can breed resentment or confrontation in the worst-case scenario. Effective collaboration is impossible if you don't understand how one person's position differs from another's. Make sure you clearly outline team goals and objectives and each member's role and duties in achieving those goals right from the start. 

While you're doing it, make sure you have a procedure in place to handle any conflicts or disagreements. There will always be differences of opinion in any collaborative effort, which you can usually settle respectfully and quickly. However, just in case these issues worsen, it's a good idea to have proper conflict management or mediation mechanisms in place. 

Setting up a code of conduct and working style for the collaborators is also a good idea. As we've seen, effective teamwork necessitates mutual respect, acknowledgment, and appreciation of all team members' contributions. After all, there is no place for a blaming culture in a collaborative workplace. Mistakes are an unavoidable part of any process, and team members should not feel guilty if they make them, and they should also not harbor a grudge if their colleagues fail. Instead of assigning blame, you must examine mistakes and lessons learned. 

Business owners and managers must make it apparent that the group's aims take precedence over any individual ambitions in a successful partnership. Individual group members' egos must take a back seat to the project's overall goals and objectives. 

Similarly, effective cooperation necessitates some degree of compromise among group members to develop a consensus on a project or task goals and techniques. Before the project may proceed further, all members must agree. 

As a result, workplace cooperation necessitates a unified organizational culture that emanates from the top. 

LeggUP Can Help 

While understanding the differences between communication vs collaboration is an excellent first step, sometimes to get to an efficient workflow is to get to the root of an issue. Thankfully, LeggUP is here to help. 

LeggUP is the first and only employee benefit that combines expert coaching with mental wellness. We help enterprises of all sizes enhance and promote their people's productivity and wellness by providing access to our extensive network of qualified coaches for those who require extra mental health care. Contact LeggUP today to learn about our pioneering mental health platform that delivers professional therapist-assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.