The Government of Canada recognizes that collaboration is an important skill required in a wide variety of workplaces. The Skills for Success framework consists of nine skills. Collaboration helps you build and maintain positive relationships with others at work, in school and in other parts of life. With the right resources, we can build our collaboration skills to improve both our work and home lives. To help support this essential skill, we have gathered resources on collaboration.

“Collaboration is working well with other people. It’s also about treating people kindly.” – UP Skills for Work: Collaboration

The video below offers an introduction to collaboration at work.

3 Competencies for Collaboration

Managing Change Limited outlines three key competencies underpinning the skill of collaboration:

1. Teamwork. Collaboration requires dynamic and agile teamwork. The ability of people to quickly form teams, even in the short term, is a sought after skill. In order to work effectively as a team, the team members must communicate productively.
2. Handling conflict. While collaborating, conflict may occur. If the conflict is handled well, the team can become more cohesive, build trust and enhance creativity.
3. Feedback and continuous improvement. Offering constructive feedback, and receiving it well, is a sign of emotional maturity and trust amongst the team. Giving and receiving feedback allows the team to keep improving and make progress.

“Collaboration skills help you perform better in a team by understanding how to support and value others, manage difficult interactions and contribute to the team’s work.” – Skills for Success

Benefits of Collaboration

Having strong collaboration skills allow you to:

• work with larger, more diverse groups of people,
• work with a group to reach more complex goals, and
• be more responsible for motivating others, managing conflict and improving teamwork.

To learn more about collaboration and how to teach this skill, check out the resources below.

Resources

• Appreciative inquiry for collaborative solutions : 21 strength-based workshops
• Collaboration begins with you : be a silo buster
• Demonstrate your value through collaboration! : teamwork & motivation
• UP Skills for Work – Get Started: Collaboration
  • Online workbook: Collaboration
  • Video: Improve your collaboration skills
• Skills for Success: Collaboration