two men exchanging puzzle piece with text why being a team player is the best move for your career

Posted & filed under Culture.

Picture in your mind the most collaborative individual at your company. This employee is likely to always contribute to meetings, and is then anxious to hear the contributions of their peers. They probably crave feedback. This individual you’re thinking of is also probably in leadership, or some cultural role. They are likely to be successful.

Collaboration is not only a common attribute of successful people, but in a corporate setting, it is often mandatory for success. Of all the best practices, habits and ‘secrets’ to growing your career, here are three reasons why collaboration is king.

 

  1. Collaboration creates opportunity.

Though this principle is painfully intuitive, it can be difficult to identify in the regular humdrum of the workday. The more contributions you make to a project, the more projects you participate in, and the more investment you place in your team, the more likely you are to be offered additional opportunities. These opportunities are accompanied by a certain degree of trust that, if kept, will certainly result in eventual career growth.

 

  1. Networking prepares you for leadership.

The stereotypical image of a corporate leader may be an executive that is confined by closed doors, but effective leadership is often more involved. While not referring to micromanaging, a leader that knows their team members and shows sincere interest in their work and lives is often the leader of a successful team. By participating in collaborative networking early-on in an individual’s career, this individual is already demonstrating leadership at an informal level.

 

  1. Collaboration promotes industry education.

In the process of interacting with individuals from all facets of a company, especially in collaborative projects, an individual would inevitably be exposed to a variety of industry-related knowledge. This acquired information could prove to be invaluable in making critical decisions, and possibly establish the learner as an industry expert. Such a course is compatible with that of leadership, and would likely be realized if that information is exercised appropriately.

 

Collaboration is the catalyst to career growth. If you feel like you’ve come to an abrupt halt in your professional progression, the solution may be looking outside yourself, and then collaborating with those you see.

 

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