Collaboration – Choose your partners carefully
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
Collaboration allows amazing things to happen, but make sure that you are partnering with the right person. It is much easier to avoid a bad partnership, then it is to get out of a bad partnership. Women will give each other the benefit that they will both contribute equally. This is rarely the case. When you are collaborating, have a conversation that openly discusses what each person is going to bring to the table. The relationship should have measurable goals that both partner contributes to and that both partners can identify with one another. When everyone is pulling equally and in the same direction, magic can happen. When one partner is doing all the work and the other is coasting, bitterness and resentment set it.
Here are some questions to go through with a partner you are considering collaborating with. If the answers don’t add up or make sense, look for someone you are better aligned with.
- What is each of our selfish reasons for this alliance (“because it would be fun” is not the right answer)
- Let’s make a list of what needs to get done and who will do what.
- What needs to get done that neither of us want to do? Who will do it?
- How will me measure the success of our collaboration?
- At what intervals do we want to check in?
- What ‘weaknesses’ do each of us bring to the table?
- What are some of the reasons that past collaborations we’ve been involved with (individually) have failed?
- How am I likely to piss you off? How am I likely to get pissed off?
Having a frank discussion at the beginning of the process will save feelings, time, and resentment down the road. Collaborators who don’t take the time before hand, set themselves up for failure. Those that put in the due diligence will benefit from the collective power of the team.
Best,
Chris.
Tags: Alpha Male, Business Development, collaboration, honest questions, partnerships