4 Ways to promote collaboration in the call center

Monday, September 5, 2016

Call centers, like any other company, develop their own organizational culture through time. Some uphold competitiveness as the most important element of success. Some are sticklers to quality and strict policy adherence. Promoting a culture of collaboration, however, may be the healthiest way to build a resilient and successful organization.

A collaborative culture motivates employees to perform well, remain loyal to the organization, and form great relationships with their teammates.

Many contact centers build this kind of culture through regular trainings. Their learning activities are geared to promote teamwork, good communication, out-of-the-box thinking, and compliance to policies.

However, this isn’t the only way to establish a collaborative culture in a call center. This article lists down four other ways to promote teamwork in the workplace.

1.   Reach out to employees.

To promote collaboration in the office, leaders must lead by example. They must make it a point to mingle with their employees to discover and understand their work-related concerns and insights. Employees warm up to managers who are always visible on the production floor, occasionally striking up a conversation with them. Leaders should also see employees as partners in running the company. They should thus regularly update the team through regular meetings about their team's performance and how it's contributing to the company's overall success.


2.   Promote fun and creativity in the workplace.

Together, leaders and employees must come up with exciting ways to make the office a fun place. Simple activities like dress-up days, holiday-themed competitions, or office decorations can break workplace monotony. Events like these not only boost employee engagement but also encourage everyone to show up for work regularly and socialize more with their colleagues.


3.   Launch work-related competitions.

Work-related competitions encourage employees to deliver their best performance. But rather than creating contests that would allow an individual to shine, why not launch ones that highlight the value of teamwork in the workplace? These activities place employees in a situation wherein they have to work together effectively in order to achieve a common goal. Doing this regularly would let you highlight the value of collaboration as part of the organizational culture.


4.   Take a breather together with your team.

Team or company outings provide employees a chance to unwind and be away from the daily pressure they encounter at work. It’s also a great time for everyone—both leaders and agents—to get to know more about one another in a relaxed and personal manner.


Aside from bringing in fun and opportunities for socialization, team building activities allow everyone to work together while showing their resourcefulness and competitive streak. Through games that require teamwork and strategic thinking, employees will be able to exercise their leadership and decision making skills, letting them build trust and friendship with their colleagues.