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| 14/10/08 | | Ensure your collaborator has a strategy |
Collaboration is often hard and it takes time—time to build the relationships, time to clear up misunderstandings, time to listen and time to get things done. We do it because collaboration enables us to do bigger and better things.
So in selecting a partner to collaborate with (this could be an individual or an organisation) you will want to make sure there is sufficient energy and persistence to invest the time needed for the collaboration to work. One way is to understand your collaborator's business strategy, starting with whether they even have one, and ensuring your collaborative effort helps them achieve their objectives while achieving your own.
In the euphoria of a new collaboration, however, everyone will tell you what you want to hear, so seek out evidence of their business strategy rather than merely rely on what you are being told. And be totally open and honest about these things at the outset because getting your objectives aligned will provide a solid foundation for all the great work you will be doing together.
And if you really want to inject some reality into the partnership from the outset, try running a pre-mortem.
Thanks to Frank Wyatt for sparking these thoughts in our conversation this morning.
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Comments
Hi, we went ahead with a unknown partner for a consultancy- jumping in the deep. What helped was knowing that we have a shared philosophie that we work from. (known because of a common collaborator)
Posted by: Joitske at October 16, 2008 12:37 AM
Hey Shawn!
There's a new business model emerging for the 21st century based on sound collaboration between proven entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs from all over the world are discovering the benefits of the Japanese keiretsu business model built on collaboration and cross-ownership.
Under the keiretsu model, which helped fuel Japan's “Economic Miracle” after WW2, a group of large publicly traded industrials band together with a bank to prosper together.
Under the new “Industry Aggregation” model small to medium sized companies band together in similar fashion to prosper together.
There are ten Industry Aggregation projects aggregating ten different industries currently, including sustainable living.
Check it out if you have a proven business you want to see become more stable and grow faster.
Check it out if you are looking for a new career as a aggregation team member.
You can find out more about Industry Aggregation at http://www.humanpotentialsunlimited.com. That's just one aggregation group.
Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Peter Ireland at October 20, 2008 9:25 AM