Beyoncé Inspired Us to be Collaborative and Inclusive: Why It’s Important in a Workplace
Anyone who went through high school or university would remember the relief and excitement felt when you finally reached the end of an era – and by that, I mean bidding farewell to the dreaded group projects everyone loathes at some point. Remember Karen, who would never show up at group meetings and didn’t even know that we were presenting… on the day of our presentation? Yeah, don’t be a Karen.
At your first job, the thought of producing outstanding results individually and taking full credit for your hard work can be quite comforting. But as Chuck Palahniuk says,
“Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.”
Every organization collaborates; we just don’t notice it. What we normally would consider just an act of “lending a hand”, for example, the advice you received from your manager or the piece of information provided by the sales team, are elements of team effort so subtle yet common in any workplace. That’s what collaboration is about, and here’s why you should encourage it:
- It speeds up decision-making process
- It provides value and sense of purpose among the team members
- It improves quality of work by pooling knowledge, experience and skills from everyone
- It makes employees feel more responsible, raising their motivation levels
- It enhances job satisfaction and reduces turnover
- It engages remote and work-from-home employees
If Queen Bey Can Do This, You Can Too
Even with the best of talents, success won’t build itself unless nurtured the right way with the right people. This explains why companies hire a marketing team to engage with potential customers and drive sales; why celebrities have agents to select opportunities only best for them; why even Beyoncé, a phenomenal artist well-known for her signature “uh-oh”s, would go from room to room and say things like, “I think that song needs that person’s input.”
“Beyoncé shows me what you can create when you give your all, and you make space for others to do the same.” – Sandra Oh
A good boss, manager or colleague doesn’t latch onto all the work but highlights others’ achievements and skills as well. Beyoncé did exactly that on her documentary, Homecoming, where she specifically celebrates the people who shared the stage with her and helped put the whole show together.
Don’t let the fear of conflicts or the dread of freeriders keep you from creating extraordinary work that could only be accomplished with more than one person. In fact, there are various pre-hire tools and assessments nowadays designed to help you determine team-fit and achieve the best outcome through shared potentials. After all, two is better than one, don’t you think?