Not being collaborative could damage your career

Companies operate in a team oriented environment in which the need for communication and collaboration is an important criteria for any organization to be successful. When organizations need to staff their open positions then they need to find the right resources that will be able to integrate with their workforce. When hiring managers perform these interviews they are making an assessment on the candidates ability to adapt in their work environment and that they have the capabilities to succeed in the company. One of the most disappointed things that can happen to a new employee that joins a new project is if they do not collaborate well with their team. In a team environment, everyone is expected to communicate and work well with each other. This is as important as the amount of knowledge and degrees that you may have. We have listed some negative impacts to someones career due to a lack of collaboration.

Bad performance review
You can receive a bad performance review based on feedback from your team members, and the project manager based on the perception of you not being a team player on the project. If you are difficult to work with, negative about the work and the people, and do not share information with others that is needed to do the job then this can raise some issues to senior management. This type of feedback will put your performance rating at a lower grade which would mean a smaller raise for the next year. A bad performance review can also limit the opportunities for growth in the organization despite the expertise that you may bring to the table. Working with people is an important component to the job and the need to collaborate with others to get the job done is very important.

Will not be able to move into a leadership position
Leaders in organizations are expected to be motivators, communicators, and collaborators. If you are recognized as someone that is not willing to work with others to get the job done then you would not be a candidate for a leadership position in your organization. Senior management wants to develop a workforce that is able to increase productivity by using less resources and the need for people to work together is a component to making this work. Senior managers do not want a person that is closed off from the rest of their team and working in isolation with no one having any idea on what work activities they are working on. You need to be collaborative and open with team members and others in the organization to be identified as a candidate for a leadership position.