Sep 22, 2021
The Future of Work is All About Collaboration.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about collaboration? Most people will answer something like working together to finish a project, produce, or create something. But what if I told you that the future of work is all about collaborating with other businesses? Yep! Some may even see this as fraternizing with “the enemy.”
When businesses collaborate they can expand their reach—it’s a win-win. Of course, there are a few ground rules. Partner with a business that is not one of your direct competitors, and search for a company or individual who will complement your business. Here are some tips for a successful collaboration:
- Decide on a common goal. A common goal can include increasing Instagram followers or launching a new product or service. Whatever you hope to achieve needs to share a common thread with your collaboration partner to be effective.
- Be open about your company’s goals. Company goals differ from project or collaboration goals. Be willing to share how the collaboration fits into company-wide goals. This doesn’t mean sharing proprietary info, but it does mean sharing enough to help everyone understand the bigger picture.
- Define what success means. Success means different things for different people and/or companies depending on where they are in their business. Small successes can have a big impact on some businesses and not others. Make sure you mutually feel clear on your definitions of success in these collaborations.
- Clearly state who does what. Clarifying responsibilities and ownership is one of the most important parts of a successful collaboration. By now, a common goal was reached and each party knows how that fits into the overall company goals, respectively. Success has been defined. This is the nitty-gritty. Who is doing what by when and with what resources.
Collaborating with complementary business owners is a great way to boost creativity and grow as independent businesses. But it can be helpful to put it in writing. Depending on the depth of the collaboration, you may even choose to include a termination clause.
