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Learn about collaborative working, its benefits, challenges, and effective strategies to overcome them. Discover how collaboration can lead to better services, wider reach, financial savings, and more.
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Collaboration Andrew Talbot 25 May 2018
Collaboration – What I’m going to cover today … • What is collaborative working? • What are the benefits? • What are the challenges? • How to overcome these challenges? Collaboration Ireland
My Background • Independent partnership and merger support • Legal Adviser CollaborationNI 2011 - 2017 • NICVA, CO3, Stellar Leadership – consortium • Funded by the Building Change Trust • Supported over 125 collaborations between voluntary, community, social enterprise and statutory organisations • Forming alliances, building consortia, supporting mergers • Former corporate, commercial and charity solicitor Collaboration Ireland
What is collaboration? Collaboration Ireland
Examples … Collaboration Ireland
What are the benefits? • Need a clear strategic rationale • What’s in it for your beneficiaries? • New or better or more sustainable services for beneficiaries • Wider reach geographically • Financial savings • Share support services – IT, HR, Finance • One voice – strength in numbers – influencing • Access funding • New colleagues -share good practice and ideas Collaboration Ireland
What are the challenges? • Are you clear about your strategic rationale? • Is there an agreed vision? • Is there sufficient impact to justify the effort? • Past history of competition and poor relationships • Poor communication – openness & transparency lacking • Cultural differences • Resistance to change … Collaboration Ireland
Resistance to change … Collaboration Ireland
Overcoming the challenges of collaboration ….Seven Steps to living happily ever after with your collaboration partner Collaboration Ireland
1. Buy-In • Is it a collaboration of the willing/reluctant? • Have all partners bought into the project? • Is it a funder-driven collaboration? • Need to feel listened to • What is in it for me? • What is in it for my beneficiaries? Collaboration Ireland
2. Agreed Vision • What is your partnership trying to achieve? • Strategic collaboration – or response to a crisis • Is there a shared goal? • What precisely is the problem that collaboration is the answer to? • Can you paint a picture of what this new future will look like? Collaboration Ireland
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather the wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea”Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Collaboration Ireland
3. Find the Right Partner • Dating – Getting your mate to ask them out • Have you got plenty in common? • Spend time and money and energy getting to know each other – but still might not work out • You might consider a few organisations before you find the right partner – beauty parade • What if the funder arranges your marriage? • If it’s not working, walk away • Due diligence – find out about your partner before you deepen your commitment Collaboration Ireland
4. Focus on Relationships • Organisations don’t collaborate – people do • Key to any successful relationship is good communication • Invest in the long-term relationship • Avoid the temptation to win short-term, short-sighted victories Collaboration Ireland
5. Trust • Tricky issue of trust • Openness & transparency • Reliability • The ‘principle of no surprises’ • Trust takes time to develop • But can be lost in a moment! Collaboration Ireland
6. Negotiate • Deal with the difficult issues early • Politeness is the enemy of collaboration • Listen – and understand the other person’s perspective • Focus on what is in it for your beneficiaries • Give yourself time & space • Consider your red lines • Find a win-win • Find your 18th camel! Collaboration Ireland
17 Camels • Eldest son – inherits half • Middle son – inherits one third • Youngest son – inherits one-ninth Collaboration Ireland
7. Agree a Good Process • Great collaborations don’t just happen • Need support • Establish a steering group • Bring in independent honest broker support • Agree a process, a timeline and a target completion date • Maintain momentum • Write it down – have an agreement Collaboration Ireland
Your plan & reality … Collaboration Ireland
Andrew Talbot Collaboration Ireland T: 0044(78)94 245090 E: andrew@andrewwtalbot.com Collaboration Ireland