In times of crisis, more than ever, collaboration is key. Companies that managed to pull their resources together fast have been more successful in battling the recent challenges.
But what steps can managers and teammates actually take in their day-to-day to foster great collaboration? We turned to Klookers for some excellent examples of teamwork that truly makes the (travel) dreams work.
Get on the same page
Sometimes we work towards the same goal but we just don’t speak the same language. Not literally, of course, English is still the working language at Klook. But in a fast-paced environment where we want to have as much impact as possible, as quickly as possible, a common pitfall is not taking the time to align.
“When the Business Development and Marketing teams in Australia started working together, we were all going for the same goal — attracting the local market. But one team brought the Demand perspective to the table and the other the Supply one, which came with different challenges and different ways to measure the success,” says Raquel Fernandez, Business Development Manager at Klook.
“We are all ambitious people, wanting to work fast and help the business grow but we had to slow down and get on the same page first,” she adds. “In the long run, it enabled us to learn and experiment together, and leverage on each other's strengths.”
Getting clarity on how the other team works and what their biggest challenges are makes it easier to rally forward as a team and celebrate shared victories.
Overcommunicate
Even if you feel like you’re on the same page, it’s still safer to err on the side of communicating too frequently.
Yash Shah, who runs projects that involve almost all functional teams at Klook, finds overcommunication essential. “Especially when working remotely, I try to really spell out my thought process and plans for the next steps for everyone to see. For me it might feel like I’m overcommunicating but for others it’s often just the right amount of information to stay on the same page,” he explains.
Learning to be a generous communicator is key!
Another great tip? Balance the macro and micro perspectives. “Always use the big picture, provide the context on what the end goal is but at the same time map out the roadmap of how to get.” This helps not just to align the team on execution but also to understand the impact of the project and adapt better to changes along the way.
Combine forces
This year has been all about thinking outside the box. From pivoting to domestic travel and experiences to launching brand new products, working within the constraints of the pandemic got us thinking in new ways.
We applied the same spirit to our collaborations, looking for creative synergies with others in the travel industry and beyond. For example, our most recent strategic partnership helps Grab users in Southeast Asia discover and book domestic experiences with a new “Attractions” feature powered by Klook.
Combining forces is the way forward in 2020!
“In trying times it’s better to work together instead of trying to compete against each other,” says Hui Min Pang, Corporate Development Senior Associate. “The collaborative mindset is strong, from small merchants to bigger partners.”
Help each other grow
Anyone at Klook can share their knowledge and expertise with the team. We even teach Klookers how to design and deliver a training session so they can teach effectively! In the last few months, Klookers have taught courses on business, marketing and more… but one Klooker really went the extra mile when it comes to helping his colleagues grow.
Long Wu, Senior Engineer at Klook, comes to work one hour early every day to teach his colleagues Python. He chose Python because it has broad applications and it’s not a difficult programming language to learn the basics of.
Why make such an investment of his time? Long truly believes that helping others grow will benefit the entire company. “Collectively we have all kinds of talents within the Klook family but if we only look at individuals, our knowledge is limited,” he explains. “If we use our expertise to teach each other, then we can improve as individuals as well as an organization.”
Ready to join the team?
Posted by Klook Careers
