Most of you are probably familiar with the word collaborate. It's used to describe suites of technology, cooperating traitorously with an enemy that is occupying your country, and the most popular, working together in a joint intellectual effort.
Collaboration is a choice and with the right combination of personalities it can be one of the most rewarding and profitable experiences!
Here are 10 necessities for a successful joint venture:
1. Work Ethic - Do all of you drive at the same level? The most dramatic results can occur beyond the 9 - 5 realm. Make sure all the players are able and willing to roll the sleeves up, dig their heels in and not be afraid to get dirty after hours.
2. Energy Level - We all operate at a different speed. A person with quick speech, brisk movements, and a perfect posture may find it challenging to communicate with someone strolling along at a passive, relaxed pace. Both can be very productive but maybe not together.
3. Passion - Do you all have the same exuberance for the project? An individual doing what they love is a powerful driving force. Multiply that into a group structure and it can function like an electromagnetic field, attracting all the critical people and situations into your lives. Each participant needs to project the same vibes.
4. Desire - Nothing happens without it. During the tough times this is what provides the determination to pull it off. It sends you jumping out of bed in the morning, causes you to take your time getting in at night, and helps you overcome everything in between. If one team member becomes frustrated or experiences challenges, the others are there to balance the mix.
5. Time - How much will the project take? How many hours can each partner contribute? If single, you may have a more flexible schedule than someone with a spouse and children. These differences need to be factored in at the beginning.
6. Responsibility - Decide up front who does what. Create a complete list, divide it up and be sure to give a deadline for each task.
7. Friendship vs Business - Sometimes it's a fine line to navigate through. Most working relationships develop into friendships. But realize that a joint venture, even among friends, should be handled as business. Everything should be outlined in writing.
You may think, these are my friends and we can trust each other. Hopefully that's true but what if someone needs to drop out due to unforeseen circumstances? Who will take on their responsibilities? What will happen to that share of the profits? There are many reasons to get it in writing. I could devote a whole post to it...perhaps I will.
8. Vision - Can everyone involved see what's on the canvas before it's painted? Very important, especially if you are trendsetting and creating something new. Brainstorm with all the different opinions but ultimately everyone involved should have the same end result masterpiece to strive for.
9. Belief - Most people on your team probably possess many of the same values but perhaps in a different order. Check this up front. The individual that stacks family, love, appreciation, success, then recognition may live life opposite that of a person who lives success, recognition, appreciation, family, then love. Neither is right or wrong. Just know ahead of time who you're dealing with. The necessities are belief in yourself, your team and your mission.
10. Personality - Have you ever had to work with someone you had nothing in common with or just didn't like? In a J O B you have no choice. One of the rewarding benefits of a collaboration is you do have a choice of who you link to and when to walk away if things don't work out. For long term success do your homework and make sure this marriage is right for you.
Depending on the project you may be able to hatch a happy mix of right brain and left. It’s great to have a multi-talented team where each person takes on a role that showcases their expertise. Everyone has a different suite of experiences to pull ideas from. Maintain consistent communication and relish the opportunity to learn from your collaborators as you launch toward completion of this exciting endeavor.
Some of these may seem obvious but I discovered recently that just because you're friends with someone and you really want a collaboration to work, it isn’t enough. A variety of personalities and backgrounds can be a wonderful strategy but there is such a thing as too different.
Ideally you realize this before initiation but quite often our best lessons arrive after or midstream. That’s okay as long as you learn and correct your course for the next venture.
What other characteristics have your successful collaborations contained? What did you learn from those that worked and those that didn't turn out as planned?
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