Here at Fox in a Box we use immersive games to help teams connect and build healthy work relationships. We also like to share tips to use inside of your office to foster productive habits and provide tools and tips to make operations run smoothly! Here are some few key learnings that we would love to share with your team!

Building Winning Teams: The True Essence of Collaboration

Collaboration is a term we hear often in workplaces today. Leaders call for it, employees strive for it, and organizations depend on it. Yet, when we ask ourselves, What does true collaboration mean? We often look at others and expect collaboration to be provided to us. Perhaps the answer lies within our understanding of how collaboration works at its core.

Imagine a basketball team. Before stepping onto the court, you don’t hear players say, “Let’s collaborate today!” They simply play the game, deeply aware of their individual roles and the shared goal of winning as a team. Each player excels in their role while staying attuned to their teammates’ strengths, weaknesses, and movements. They’ve trained together repeatedly, built trust, and developed a seamless rhythm. This synergy is what transforms them from a group of skilled individuals into a winning team.

What if we applied these principles to our workplaces? Instead of being a group of individuals working together, we become a team in the true sense —playing, improving, and winning together.

Here are my thoughts on how we can create truly collaborative teams.

1. Get to know your teammates

Collaboration begins with connection. Spend time with your colleagues outside of project discussions. Have meals together, celebrate personal milestones, or simply engage in casual conversations. When we understand each other’s personalities, motivations, and challenges, it becomes easier to anticipate needs, resolve conflicts, and offer genuine support.

Ask yourself: Do I truly know my teammates beyond their job titles?

2. Train together

Skill development is not a one-time activity. Like athletes train to improve their game, teams need consistent opportunities to learn and grow. This includes technical skills, interpersonal skills, and teamwork itself. A growth mindset—believing in the potential for constant improvement—is essential.

If you are a parent, you would have seen explicit growth in your baby. A baby takes years to learn to speak, then grows into a confident communicator over decades. In early years of life, we are constantly learning new things. When we leave formal schooling our daily learning becomes less apparent but our ability to learn doesn’t diminish. Lifelong learning is essential for progress.

As professionals, we must continuously hone our abilities to thrive individually and as a team.

A very wise man once said: “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” – Albert Einstein

So if you are a team leader, encourage your team to seek feedback, explore new ideas, and push boundaries. Make learning a shared journey. And if you are an individual contributor- invest and commit to honing your craft and inspiring those around you with what you learn.

3. Communicate openly and respectfully

Collaboration thrives on communication. Constructive feedback helps uncover blind spots and improve performance. However, this requires a foundation of respect. Share insights thoughtfully, and be open to receiving feedback without defensiveness.

Use techniques like “The SBI Method” (Situation, Behavior, Impact) to structure feedback in a way that’s specific, actionable, and respectful.

Feedback can be the strongest gift you can offer to someone. Having said that, the power of feedback is in being able to receive it and action it to unlock your own potential. So next time someone gives you feedback, thank them, consciously reflect on it and use it for your growth.

4. Believe in the power of human potential

Humanity’s greatest achievements—building civilizations, curing diseases, exploring space—stem from collaboration. As Yuval Noah Harari writes in the book Sapiens, “Homo sapiens conquered the world thanks, above all, to its unique ability to cooperate flexibly in large numbers.”

Our workplace teams also have the ability to unlock great achievements. Each individual brings unique potential, and when they unite with a shared purpose, that potential multiplies.

This journey starts with being able to believe in the team's potential beyond your own individual capability, it lies in believing that there is power beyond self.

5. Catch the ball: support proactively

Great teams don’t wait for instructions to help each other. Be attuned to your teammates’ needs, and step in without being asked. Whether it’s helping with a deadline or simply listening during a tough moment, proactive support builds trust and camaraderie.

Proactive support is often seen as a byproduct of the above pointers. It starts with higher situational awareness of what other members are driving and understanding how each step ties in to drive larger objectives.

6. Celebrate wins and milestones

Teams that celebrate together stay motivated. Whether it's completing a project, achieving a quarterly goal, or overcoming a challenging obstacle, take the time to acknowledge success. Celebrations build morale and reinforce a sense of shared purpose.

We are all players in the infinite game. There are always more problems to be solved, always higher goals to be reached. So enjoy the game, celebrate wins, and continue to embrace the next challenge with higher confidence! Continue to Level Up

Final thought: Are you a workgroup or a team?

This was the question that was posed in a leadership meeting I was part of last year. It led me to read more about the difference between the two. I learnt was that collaboration isn’t about working in parallel; it’s about aligning individual strengths toward a common goal. Teams don’t just work together—they grow, improve, and succeed together.

I hope this article inspires you to make collaboration more than just a buzzword, and that you can live it, like a basketball team stepping onto the court—committed, connected, and ready to win.

Because “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

Kanchan Bhakoo Business Unit Leader, Vision Care Singapore at Johnson & Johnson