How to Improve Team Collaboration: Practical Tips for Busy Teams

Most teams don’t struggle because people don’t get along. They struggle because no one’s clear on how to work together, what’s expected, what’s OK, and what’s not.

If you’re a manager or team lead, improving collaboration doesn’t mean adding more meetings or doing another away day. It means building habits that make everyday work easier, clearer and fairer.

Here’s how.

1. Set Shared Team Norms

Team norms are the invisible rules that shape how your team operates. But if you haven’t talked about them, they’re probably misaligned.

Start by answering together:

• What do we each need to do our best work?

• What helps us collaborate, and what gets in the way?

• What are our shared expectations around communication, responsiveness and decisions?

Write the answers down. These become your team agreements, not just good intentions, but real norms you can refer back to.

2. Build in Regular Feedback Loops

Feedback shouldn’t be a once-a-year form. Great teams talk about what’s working and what’s not, as part of everyday work.

You can start with one question: What’s one thing we should keep, stop or start doing to work better together?

Make it regular, a question you ask at the end of a sprint, project or monthly meeting. It builds reflection into your rhythm, not just when something goes wrong.

3. Create Working Agreements That Reflect Real Needs

People aren’t robots, and the best collaboration happens when teams understand and work with each other’s actual needs.

That means making preferences visible:

• How do I like to receive information?

• When do I do my best work?

• What helps me focus, and what stresses me out?

This is where Working With Me™ comes in. It’s a half-day workshop that helps small teams create shared manuals for how they work best. No personality tests. No fluff. Just honest, structured conversations that turn into team agreements.

Collaboration is a Practice

Team collaboration isn’t something you fix once and forget. It’s a set of habits you build over time, clarity, communication, and shared expectations.

Start small. Make one norm visible. Ask one feedback question. Have one conversation about how someone works best.

That’s how collaboration gets easier, and performance gets stronger.

Want a structured way to do this with your team? Book a Working With Me™ session or get in touch to learn more.

FAQs on Team Collaboration

What are the best ways to improve team collaboration?
Start with clear team norms, regular feedback loops, and visible working agreements. It’s about structure, not just good vibes.

How do team norms help collaboration?
They set expectations and reduce confusion. When everyone knows what’s OK and what’s not, collaboration gets smoother.

What is a team working agreement?
It’s a written document that outlines how your team works best, including communication styles, work preferences and shared expectations.