People working in a collaborative culture are twice as likely to be happy at their work place. And the organization they work for is 3 times as likely to be innovative. These are the preliminary results of the online survey ecloo has launched. It allows individuals, teams and organizations to assess their culture of collaboration or – simply put – help them understand how they work together. Several dozen people from 21 countries on all continents and from different sectors have completed the survey. Curious where you stand? Time to become collaborative! Participate at www.gofargotogether.com/survey, comment on this blog post and let us know how you see the relationship between collaboration, engagement and innovation.

To date, several dozen people have completed the ecloo online survey assessing the culture of collaboration of their organization. The survey also includes an assessment of how engaged they are at their work place and how innovative they see their organization. After completing the survey, respondents receive an immediate assessment of the current culture of collaboration according to their observations on attitudes and behaviors. The final feedback includes a numeric value, the ecloo value,  that helps assess the overall degree of collaboration. The ecloo value is also a starting point to discuss collaborative strengths and weaknesses in the organization. A more detailed report on the collaborative environment in the organization can be requested by respondents. The report includes recommendations to help improve, enhance or maintain organizational collaboration.

Among the respondents, the level of collaboration varies greatly from territorial or “silo” environments to collaborative cultures including those that engage their customers in their processes. A trend seems to emerge: Collaborative environments are more conducive to innovation than territorial cultures. And people feel happier and more engaged in collaborative environments. Accordingly, more than two thirds of employees working for organizations that are very collaborative say they are happy at their work place. A similar correlation can be found between collaboration and innovation: Close to 80% of employees working in a collaborative environment see their organization as being innovative.Conversely, people working in territorial or dominant environments are less likely to be engaged and see their organizations as less innovative.

For organizations and companies to do the math: Creating cultures of collaboration is a key to more engaged staff and innovation. Does that reflect your experience? Participate in the survey – www.gofargotogether.com/survey – and post your comments to this blog article.

The Online Module was developed by www.mindstreamelearning.com.