Breaking Down the C's of Collaboration in the Workplace

Looking to improve workplace collaboration at your organization? Read on to uncover the best strategies for successful outcomes

September 5, 2023
Press the button to generate random icebreaker questions.
There are 300 more icebreaker questions at the bottom of the article
How would you describe your job to a five year old?
What season would you be?
What is a weird food you have tried? Would you eat it again?
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Would you go in the mother-ship with aliens if they landed on Earth tomorrow?
What is your favorite season?
Do prefer working from home or the office?
What is your earliest memory of this job?
What is the best thing you have bought so far this year?
What is the earliest book you remember?
If you had to move to another country, which one would you choose?
You are the best criminal mastermind in the world. What crime would you commit if you knew you would get away with it?
What is your favorite movie genre to watch?
What was the last thing you ate?
What person from history would you add to Mount Rushmore?
What is a weird fact you know?
What is your favorite part of working from home?
Were the Spice Girls a good team?
Imagine you can instantly learn any language. Which would you choose?
If you could live in any state, which state would you pick?
Which fictional team is the best team of all time?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What do you usually eat for a quick lunch?
What simple food will you never eat?
Show us the weirdest thing you have in the room with you right now.
Would you rather stay at a hotel or an AirBNB?
What is your favorite movie genre to watch?
Are you more productive in the morning or at night?
Who is someone in your community that makes a difference?
Who was your most unique pet?
Choose one famous person from history you want on your team during a zombie apocalypse.
What is a good way to give back to the community?
Which song could you listen to over and over again?
Is Hugh Grant funny?
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Would you want to have an imaginary friend today? Did you have one as a child?
What actor or actress would you want to play you in the movie about your life?
What is the best super power?
What is your New Years resolution?
You can only eat one food again for the rest of your life. What is it?
What is the best work holiday?
What is the first gift you remember receiving?
Would you rather join Metallica or Backstreet Boys?
What is the best example of a community you have seen?
What is an easy way to do something nice for someone?
Show us your phone background and tell the story behind why you picked this image.
What was your first job?
Pick any band to play at your funeral.
If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
Which superpower would you give to your arch enemy?
What is the most obscure superpower you would want?
What emoji best describes how you are feeling right now?
If you could live in any country, which country would you pick?
Would you rather live in a city or a town?
What is your favorite holiday?
What is something you accomplished as part of a team?
What is your standard office lunch?
What is your most used phone app?
What is your favorite season?
Have you ever won something as a team?
Imagine you are a professional baseball player. What is your introduction song?
Beach holiday or ski trip?
Have you ever been to a funny comedy show?
Would you rather live at the North Pole or the South Pole?
What is your favorite song to sing?
If you could live in any state, which state would you pick?
Imagine you could teleport anywhere. Where would you go right now?
What is the most unusual job you have heard of?
What was the last thing you ate?
You can visit any fictional time or place. Which would you pick?
What do your family and friends think you do all day?
What movie do you wish you could watch again for the first time?
Show us your most-used emoji.
What was the most unique style or fashion trend you ever embraced?
What movie defined your generation?
You are stranded on a remote desert island. Are you alone or with your worst enemy?
What is your favorite knock-knock joke?
Have you ever told someone Santa is not real?
Do you know how to speak more than one language?
On a scale of 1 – 10, how much of a team player are you?
What is your #1 recommendation in this city?
What is your favorite holiday?
What bucket list item do you most want to check off in the next six months?
What is your favorite mythical creature?
What was the first way you made money?
If you could be great at any Olympic sport, which would it be?
Which song could you listen to over and over again?
When did you start liking/hating mushrooms?
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Do you take your PTO all at one time, or another way?
Which show do you remember most from your childhood?
Which beverage goes best with pizza?
Would you want to have a personal assistant follow you around everywhere and do what you asked of them?
Have you ever met your idol?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Would you rather live 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future?
What is your hobby?
When you are alone in the car, what volume is the music at?
Imagine you no longer have to work. How would you spend a Tuesday?
What is your favorite type of sandwich?

Collaboration is a creative process driven by an interplay of shared goals and collective efforts, with the attainment of a common objective being the result. It requires intentionally using available skill sets, expertise, and experience. 

When effectively executed, collaboration can evoke innovation and spark a flutter of insightful thoughts necessary for informed decision-making. It’s an invaluable productivity tool in today’s workplace. 

The best way to achieve cohesive teamwork within the workforce is to implement a collaborative framework emphasizing effective collaboration's core tenets. 

In this article, we’ll explain what collaboration in the workplace really means, expound the fundamental C’s of effective collaboration, and examine how each of these elements work synergistically to produce a desired outcome.

Before delving into all these, let’s explore collaboration in the workplace.

What Is Collaboration in the Workplace?

Workplace collaboration refers to all intentional and coordinated efforts by an organization’s workforce toward achieving a common goal.

75% of employees consider team collaboration important. In addition, 86% of business executives cite a lack of collaboration in the workplace as a reason for company failures. 

A study shows that successful collaboration in the workplace increases innovation by approximately 30% and boosts productivity by 36%. 

Essentially, a collaborative workplace is defined by features of open communication policy, cooperative inputs, and coordinated actions aimed at leveraging the individual capabilities of employees for the collective organization’s success. 

Real-life examples of collaboration in the workplace include:

  • Cross-functional Projects

In this form of collaboration, different teams in a company combine resources to execute a project. Eg; A product launch.

Target practices this form of workplace collaboration style. 

  • Brainstorming Sessions

Here, team members gather to brainstorm ideas, generate insightful concepts, and collaborate on plans that effectively address a particular challenge. 

Google employs this collaboration technique to fast track project executions.

  • Remote Collaboration

This example is a form of modern workplace collaboration among staff in different physical locations. In a digital workplace collaboration, teams in locations use online communication tools to collaborate effectively on a project despite geographical constraints. 

Buffer operates solely via remote teams.

Assembly is a fantastic example of a workplace collaboration technology that ensures seamless collaboration of remote teams.

  • Innovative Hackathons:

This is a defined period where employees brainstorm and design an innovative concept or product. It encourages employees to unleash their creativity, explore new ideas, and learn new perspectives. 

Facebook employs this collaboration technique to accelerate its innovation drive.

  • Conflict Resolution

In this form of collaboration, the team thrives when members appropriately lay out differences so teamwork can thrive. 

Airbnb understands this concept perfectly, encouraging employees to discuss conflicts and find solutions that work for the parties involved.

Benefits of Collaboration in the Workplace

Collaborating in the workplace has great benefits that apply to both the company and its employees. Key benefits include:

  1. Learning Opportunity
  2. Improved Employee Retention
  3. Effective Decision-making
  1. Learning Opportunity

It’s simply a case of iron sharpens iron. Collaboration in the workplace provides a prime opportunity for employees to learn from each other and improve their existing knowledge. The beautiful thing about such an experience is that you can apply newly gained information in real-time as the project progresses.

  1. Improved Employee Retention

According to Zippia, employees are approximately 17% more satisfied with their jobs when involved in collaborative work. Also, engaged employees are more likely to remain with the company longer, helping save significant costs on hiring and reducing the turnover rate.

  1. Effective Decision-making

The best decisions come from an abundance of relevant information. When employees pull resources together, there will be ample basis to carry out certain actions or steer a certain direction in the execution of a project.

What Are the 4 C’s of Collaboration?

Also known as the fundamental C’s, the 4 C’s of collaboration represent workplace collaboration principles. 

They constitute a robust framework that incorporates both formal and informal relationships, within and outside the organization, and requirements of soft skill sets for proper utilization.  

The 4C’s of workplace collaboration include:

  1. Communicate
  2. Cooperate
  3. Coordinate
  4. Culture
  1. Communicate

The art of communication is one of the vital collaboration skills in the workplace. For a project execution to be successful, communication and collaboration in the workplace must go hand in hand. 

Effective collaboration in the workplace requires that communications must be clear, concise, and seamless. This means using various communication channels, including emails, video conferencing platforms, and performance management tools to aid the dissemination of information.

Also, open communication is vital. An excellent way to achieve this is to have routine check-in sessions with employees where they can freely express their views and have their opinions valued. 

In addition, teamwork thrives when there’s empathy. For instance, company executives should criticize constructively and acknowledge existing limitations when there's a decline in progress. 

  1. Cooperate

Cooperation in the workplace goes beyond team members being agreeable with each other. It is the intentional readiness of employees to work together for a common purpose. Communication can be top-notch, yet collaboration may be lacking.

One major reason a company’s workforce can exhibit a lack of cooperation is the absence of trust in the workplace. When employees are not fully convinced that the organization will see and appreciate their efforts, they’re less willing to work together.

Collaboration in the workplace is fostered by recognizing that teamwork goes beyond the execution of individual tasks but by the interdependency of those tasks. So, to boost cooperation, projects should link to the company’s reward system through team rewards or team-building activities. These activities aim to develop a sense of belonging and recognition amongst team members.

Assembly has a host of team-building activities to promote collaboration in the workplace. Try it Today.  

  1. Coordinate

You will most likely hit your target when you shoot with an aim. An organization that properly coordinates all efforts toward achieving its objectives reduces the incidence of wasted efforts, misplaced priorities, and unnecessary time wasting. 

Despite good communication, ineffective coordination can hamper collaboration. Effective coordination helps to synchronize employees’ efforts by ensuring team members are abreast of each other’s deadlines, progress made, and the interdependency of assigned tasks. 

Project management tools like Assembly do a great job in helping to facilitate this aspect of workplace collaboration. 

  1. Culture

When a company’s culture does not promote collaboration in the workplace, it gradually dies off. 

Collaboration-driven company culture is a stimulant for efficient communication policies, team synergy activities, and the development of good coordination skills among team managers. It can be cultivated by recognizing and understanding the competencies of a company’s workforce, promoting inclusivity, and leveraging these competencies.

More importantly, a collaboration-driven company culture supports using collaborative tools in the workplace. 

Assembly illustrates this perfectly in this video. 

What Are the 7 C's of Strategic Collaboration?

Strategic collaboration is long-term, purposeful, and planned. The two major elements of every strategic partnership are communication and coordination. In addition, here are five more important elements:

  1. Commitment
  2. Creativity
  3. Contribution
  4. Coach
  5. Customer
  1. Commitment

Consistency is the soul of business. For collaboration to yield long-term effects, it has to be consistent, with employees committed to the cause. 

To achieve this, HR managers need to maintain accountability in the workplace, while employees and team leaders have to take full responsibility for their tasks.

  1. Creativity

According to Indeed, collaboration strategies in the workplace keep evolving as long as creative solutions are formulated at the same pace as market conditions change. 

Strategies are born out of a creative process. If a collaboration has to be strategic, ideas must always be abundant. 

Spark creativity in employees by encouraging idea generation and creating a safe environment where they can share their ideas and subsequently fine-tune them.

  1. Contribution

This is the essence of collaboration, leveraging the power of pulled resources to their utmost potential. 

A collaboration technically serves no strategic purpose if the individuals involved don't contribute. Employees and participants need to actively contribute their ideas, expertise, knowledge, experience, and efforts. Companies can boost employees’ efforts using incentives and rewards.

  1. Coach

Good leaders embody what they advocate for. More often than not, team leaders assume the role of a coach in strategic collaboration, guiding and coordinating the activities of other team members during the entire process. 

In this capacity, team leaders are to assist in helping employees understand their assigned roles, facilitate communication, and resolve conflicts.

  1. Customer 

The end goal of a strategic collaboration is to keep old customers happy and attract new customers. Companies intending to remain in business are willing to go the extra mile to keep customers loyal to the brand. 

Hence, all collaboration efforts should be channeled toward satisfying customers’ needs. Continual refinement of collaboration strategies is essential as more information about the company’s target audience becomes available, ensuring the acceptance of new products and services.

Cohesion of the C’s

The C’s of collaboration are interrelated, mutually influencing and amplifying one another. While good communication practices catalyze workplace cooperation by fostering an environment of trust and empathy, partnership amongst employees enables effective team coordination.

Then, the company’s culture lays the foundation for productive communication and coordination policies to create a robust framework for idea sharing, information exchange, and skills acquisition.

According to Deloitte, employees actively involved in collaborative initiatives were 22% more likely to remain in the company. Collaboration is one of the most reliable means of achieving employee engagement and productivity. There’s no better way than by incorporating all the C’s of collaboration.

Collaboration in the workplace is now less of a should-have and more of a need-to-have in every organization. However, achieving this level of synergy can be demanding on a company’s HR department, and using the right workplace collaboration tool simplifies the entire workflow.

Book a free demo today to try Assembly’s workplace collaboration software for seamless integration and reinforcement of all fundamental C’s.  

Browse our Free Employee Recognition Guide

Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

Explore Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

Is there a free version of Assembly?

Yes. We offer a completely free plan for up to 50 team members. This plan is intended for teams or organizations that are looking to get started with an employee engagement tool. Keep in mind, this plan is limited in features.

All customers can open an Assembly account for free and get started without a credit card. Then you can change plans as necessary.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

Could find the answer you are looking for?

Please schedule time with an expert and we will help you to get all your questions answered