If you want to collaborate

Thinking about working together? Here's what to consider, whether you're being invited or doing the inviting.

I’ve been talking a lot lately about what it takes to collaborate. Here are some rough ideas on making it successful and move it away from romantic ideas, even in the most agile and shambolic creative settings and projects.

Image: Thinking about working together? Here's what to think about.

If you’re asking people to collaborate with you:

1. Go first. Do the first bit of work to help clarify the idea.

2. Be open and direct about what you want. That way, everyone’s making an informed choice when/if they jump on board.

3. Pay attention to the responses. Don’t expect reluctant people to learn to be excited.

4. Be prepared to answer questions. People only feel safe if their curiosity is met and they can picture what you have in mind and how they fit into it.

5. Keep talking. There are no hard and fast agreements here.

6. Ask collaborators what they want from the experience. That way, you can tell if you are indeed on the same page.

7. Choose values alignment over skills. You can always add extra skills. But if the values are out of synch, progress is hard to make.

8. Keep talking. Ideas take time and so do new collaborations.

9. Outline roles and responsibilities early. That way, you can define swim lanes early and aim for coverage, accountability, and reduce frustrations.

10. Do it for the right reasons. Know the difference between running away from where you are, and heading towards something new and wonderful.

If you’re asked to collaborate:

1. Be realistic and open about what you can and can’t commit in terms of time, resources, labour, and brain space.

2. Make sure you like the idea enough to pursue it. Don’t make the mistake of wanting to work with the person and saying yes to things you’re lukewarm on. Or with the idea that once you start, you can direct the idea in a different direction.

3. Ask as many questions as you need to to understand the idea, what is expected, and what you want from the collaboration.

4. Don’t be afraid to say no if the idea isn’t the right one for you.

5. Ask the collaborators - and yourself - what’s in this for me?

6. Clarify how your efforts will be reflected within the project and for you personally. E.g. credits, roles, references, opportunities, etc.

   Before you begin, make sure you’re on the same page by:

   1. Make sure you view each other as equal and valuable. Leadership might be a part of the process. But choosing to view someone else’s contribution as less than someone else’s doesn’t serve the collaborative process or the project long term.

   2. Map your goals so you know what you’re aiming for. That’s for the project as well as for the individuals collaborating on the project.

   3. Decide who owns what within the idea. I know that sounds like a creativity killer, but it is much easier to choose how much energy you’ll put in if you know what you own in the end.

   4. Establish your roles in the project. Whether you have separate departments, certain tasks or sections, or entire role descriptions, make sure you know who is doing what and where the responsibilities lie. That way, you don’t overwork people or under-utilise them, or step on their toes and kill their enthusiasm.

   5. Outline your regular and semi regular contributions and/or time commitments. That way, tasks don’t get missed, time doesn’t become an enemy, and everyone knows what is expected to make the project function on a small and large scale.

   6. How do you finalise decisions? Is it a vote? Does someone get final say? Is it based on the expertise or role across different tasks? What do you do if getting agreement is proving difficult?

   7. Explain and respect your working rhythms to each other so you can figure out how to communicate, support, and help each other. And make some choices to support them.

   8. Decide what you will and won’t let go to the keeper. Not every hill is worth dying for. But some small hills turn into mountains if you let them.

   Once you start collaborating together:

   1. Put the project first. That way, you’re making decisions from the good of the project without getting caught in other far less subjective weeds.

   2. Celebrate contributions. Collaborating is about shared ownership. All contributions are valid.

   3. Do things other than work on the project. But also protect the time meant for the project from play. That way, momentum can happen without damage to friendships.

   4. Communicate early and often. That way, you can keep up the energy and the progress.

   5. Scale the idea to suit the labour available. Don’t say yes to tasks you can’t complete, don’t expect grand productions from side pieces. The easiest way to damage trust in collaboration is to expect or offer more then you can handle and create stress through a lack of coverage.

   6. Look after each other. Value contributions, no matter how small. Make learning, failing, doing, and being inspired safe.

   7. Create space for sharing of new ideas as they come up. Even if you have a place to park ideas so they don’t distract you with new and shiny as you build.

   8. Check in with each other to make sure the workload is manageable, the vibe is high, and the goals are being met.

   9. Collaborate based on what you know of each other, not what you expect from yourself. That way, you’re not asking someone to match your pace if you want to put in more time, and so on.

   10. Work in a way that makes you excited to collaborate rather than feel like it is another version of homework and obligation. Even busy periods, launches, or sprints can be enjoyable if the connection to the people and the project is meaningful.

Anything else you’d add?