{"id":506,"date":"2015-11-12T10:29:10","date_gmt":"2015-11-12T15:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marialatimore.com\/?p=506"},"modified":"2018-06-12T06:13:36","modified_gmt":"2018-06-12T10:13:36","slug":"the-power-of-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marialatimore.com\/organizational-development\/the-power-of-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"

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So how can nonprofits accomplish more without hiring additional staff or raising more money? By collaborating with other organizations, nonprofits gain access to and can leverage resources that enable them to do more than they can do on their own.<\/p>\n

Collaboration is about working together for common goals. As the collaborative relationship is forming it\u2019s important that all parties understand and agree on the shared goals of the project.<\/p>\n

Each collaborator must understand their role in the project and share why the partnership is mutually beneficial to them. As the project progresses, and goes through the expected highs and lows, continuously focusing on the goals and benefits will help to smooth the choppy waters.<\/p>\n

Here are some key ideas that nonprofits should consider to establish effective and successful collaborative relationships with other organizations.<\/p>\n

Network<\/h2>\n

When thinking about the projects they want to complete, nonprofits should leverage their networks to partner with others that have successfully completed similar projects, that have the complimentary skills and resources needed, and that can benefit from the collaboration.<\/p>\n

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, nonprofits should think about how to benefit from other organization\u2019s experiences. Thoroughly understanding every collaborator\u2019s needs and abilities to participate creates win-win situations where all groups facilitate their missions and goals.<\/p>\n

Analyze<\/h2>\n

Nonprofits should carefully consider the projects that they select to collaborate on. There should be clearly defined shared goals and success criteria so that win-win situations are created.<\/p>\n

A big item to consider is how decisions will be made. Often times when nonprofits collaborate it\u2019s assumed that there will be a consensus-driven decision making process. And though that makes sense on the surface, further thought and discussion should determine if a consensus-driven decision making process is best for project success and team engagement. An aggressive deployment schedule and other factors may limit the time and flexibility necessary to support a consensus-driven decision making process.<\/p>\n

Another key question that must be answered is what communication strategy will work best given the mix of partners? The collaborators must agree on a communication process that works for everyone. To ensure everyone\u2019s on the same page, they should document the who, what, when, where and how of the communication methods to be used during the project.<\/p>\n

The collaboration team should determine the skills and resources that are necessary to accomplish the project. Then each organization should document the skills and resources that they have, and don\u2019t have. By comparing notes, the team can collectively identify the resources and skills that each organization will provide to the project. This analysis will also determine if none of the partners have the necessary critical resources and give the team the opportunity to secure them.<\/p>\n

Successful Collaboration<\/h2>\n

Collaborative projects are more successful when all of the collaborators agree on, document, and plan these key points.<\/p>\n