Glossary

Brainstorming is a group technique for generating ideas and solving problems. Team members share suggestions as soon as they come to mind and all ideas are noted down without criticism. After the session, the ideas are evaluated and action items are created.

Collaboration is the process of two or more individuals, teams, or organizations working together to achieve a goal.

“Cross-functional” refers to a situation in which people from different areas of an organization work together as a team. For example, a software company may create a cross-functional team of employees from engineering, marketing, and customer support to produce a new product. Communication and collaboration are essential to the success of cross-functional teams.

Cooperation is the act of working together for a shared purpose or goal. Cooperation is vital for teams to achieve their aims — every team member must pull their weight and work actively to complete tasks, solve problems, and help others.

A collaborator is an individual who works with others on a project or task. A good collaborator can cooperate, communicate well, and support their fellow team members.

Coordination is the organization of the different elements of an activity or project so that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. To ensure that your team stays coordinated, you must manage their daily tasks, check their status regularly, and keep things moving to schedule.

Cross-organizational collaboration occurs when two or more organizations come together to work on a project. One example of a cross-organizational venture was the 26-year partnership between General Motors and Toyota, which allowed both brands to enter new markets.

Leadership is the act of leading a team or organization. It is different from management, which refers to controlling a group to achieve a goal. Good leaders can influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward project and organizational success.

Networking is the process of interacting with others to share information and gain professional contacts. For example, a sales representative may network with customers to discover more potential prospects.

Participation is the act of taking part in an event or activity. Participation is essential for collaboration to work — each team member must contribute and feel that their contributions are valued.

A stakeholder is an individual or organization actively involved in a project or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the project’s outcome. Stakeholders on a project can include everyone from the project team to senior management to the end customers.

Synergy occurs when two or more organizations, departments, or teams combine their powers to create something greater than they could achieve working separately. For example, one organization could merge with another to expand and strengthen both companies.

Teamwork is the combined effort of a group of people to achieve a common goal in the most efficient, effective way. Strong teams can cooperate, contribute their skills and expertise, and overcome differences in opinions or approaches.

A team is a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to meet a common goal or objective.

Team building describes various activities used to enhance relationships, increase motivation, promote cooperation, and define roles within teams. Team building often takes the form of social events, structured activities, and group brainstorming sessions.