This tool might help you with Step 1: Set up a small group to lead the way
You will want your work together to be productive and enjoyable. Ideally, you want everyone involved to feel confident that it’s worth their while working jointly with others, even if at times it might seem difficult.
Before we give you some ideas on working collaboratively, you might like to work through these questions and reflect on what you already know. You also might like to discuss your responses together at a lead group meeting.
Take a moment to think about times when you’ve worked with others on a joint activity and the experience wasn’t positive.(As this is an exercise in learning, not blaming, do this without naming people or organisations.)
What disappointed or frustrated you?
What do you think made it that way?
Now think about when you’ve worked together with others on a joint activity and the experience was positive.
What satisfied or excited you about it?
What do you think made it that way?
- Look over your experiences – negative and positive – and come up with a list of what you think needs to happen for your group’s work together to be productive and enjoyable.
Once you’ve done that, you might like to look at the ideas on the following page and compare them with what you’ve come up with.
WHY YOU MIGHT CONSIDER USING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
A collaborative approach can be useful when people or organisations:
- have overlapping, shared interests and recognise they are interconnected
- have unique skills, knowledge, resources and access to different groups that would be of real benefit if shared
- can bring about more effective outcomes for people if they work together
- want to minimise duplication in their work.
IMPORTANT COLLABORATION CONCEPTS
Long-term focus
- The group shares a common aim that they know will, over time, bring clear benefits to themselves and others.
- They have a strong and steady approach, made up of numerous small steps which collectively lead them towards their goal.
Trust
- Trust underpins cooperation and commitment, and also fosters enthusiasm. It doesn’t happen instantly, but is built over time by open communication, a willingness to share, honesty and fair-dealing, confidence in each other’s abilities, and consistent action.
- Trust has a very practical side to it based on mutual understanding and agreements about expected behaviour.
- At a concrete level, it is about people doing what they have said they will do, carrying out agreed tasks and following up as agreed.
- Trust is fragile. It can be easily fractured and, if this happens, is hard to regain.
Reciprocity and a commitment to win/win
- The partners are willing to offer support to each other, knowing that sometimes it is to one party’s benefit, sometimes to another’s, but overall the long-term shared aim is being achieved.
- To this end, partners need to solve problems jointly by working hard to help the other achieve their goals.
Equality and equity
- The people involved see each other as equals. Everyone is prepared to work in ways that build trust, reciprocity and cooperation.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER IN THE EARLY STAGES OF SETTING UP YOUR LEAD GROUP
Part 1: Is a collaborative approach the way to go for us?
Consider these questions first:
- Do we share a compelling purpose or aim?
- Is this something we wouldn’t achieve as well working on our own as we can if we work together?
- Is there likely to be support of a collaborative approach from other key people in our community?
- Are all the potential players likely to be committed to this long-term?
- Is everyone likely to be willing to give and take over time, knowing that sometimes they will be giving more and other times they will be receiving more?
- Would all the players feel that they are exposed to about the same level of risk, even though the risks may be different?
- Do the players have fairly compatible ways of working or would be willing to make allowances for the other from time to time?
- Do you think the relationship could be based on respect, collaboration, trust and openness?
If you answered “Yes” to at least six of these, including the first two, then it is definitely worth considering a collaborative approach.
Part 2: What is the potential of our collaboration?
Consider these questions on your own first and make some notes. Next, have a group discussion about them, and explore your different views and ideas together.
- What is the other people’s value to us – why are we considering them as partners?
- What is our value to them – why do we think they are considering us as a partner?
- Why are we interested in collaborating?
- What are our expectations for how we would like to work together?
- What risks are there to the collaboration?
- What risks might there be for other organisations we are part of or work for?
- Is there anything significant in our history together that could impact on our work together?
- Is there anything that is non-negotiable for any of us?
- Shall we proceed?