Collaboration is certainly the new buzzword around these parts, even though it is as a concept far from new. Some anthropologists even go so far as to suggest that humans evolved as a species because of our ability to collaborate.
The concept featured prominently at several business events we’ve attended recently organised by the NI Chamber of Commerce and CBI NI. Speakers including our First and deputy first Ministers deemed collaboration critical to tackling the huge challenges we face – be that around the economy, skills. poverty or tackling climate change. But why now?
The old adage that ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ must be one of the main reasons it is in vogue, where the scale of the challenges and the funding constraints we face merit fresh thinking.
The question is, is collaboration in our nature as anthropologists suggest and therefore easy? Or have we forgotten the value of collaboration and need to relearn these skills if we are to tackle the challenges ahead?
One school of thought is that through evolution we have developed other more dominant skills at the expense of collaboration - particularly that of ‘organisation’ to more efficiently and effectively achieve our goals. In clearly defined structures with rules, procedures and clear lines of authority, effective organisational leaders have learned how to exercise power and influence. They are also required to focus on the long-term health of their own organisation above anything else.
In contrast, there is no organisational chart to guide cross-sector or external collaboration. Yet when problems are much greater and ever evolving, adaptive and collaborative networks are much more effective. In this context we can assume that those who will succeed will be those that aren’t confined by their organisations, but instead those who embrace collaboration.
At a recent World Economic Forum annual meeting one of their three core themes was building trust for global collaboration. The current turbulent geopolitical context has seemingly seen a rise of conflict and competition, and a decline of trust in international systems. This reinforces that trust is at the heart of all successful collaborations, and yet we know too well in this country sometimes trust can be in short supply.
Are we therefore culturally ready to fully embrace the benefits and put in the effort true collaboration needs? There is a lot of evidence to suggest it isn’t always the solution and where it is, it isn’t easy. It takes work and commitment. Former US Surgeon General Dr Joycelyn Elders even once quipped that collaboration is ‘an unnatural act between non-consenting adults.’
For collaboration to succeed people need to consider their goals, barriers, and interests – as well as those of their potential partners. Most organisations will face political constraints, competing priorities, personality clashes, resistance to change and resource limitations.
In their book Making Collaboration Work, Professors Julia Wondolleck and Steven Yaffee describe collaboration as “a kind of awkward dance that none of us knows the steps to.” Using this analogy, the simple advice is to get to know your partner before you begin dancing, pick music you both like to listen to and start with some basic moves. Oh, and forgive your partner when they step on your toes – just as you expect forgiveness when you step on theirs.
In recent months we have had the privilege of being involved in several important client collaborations within the energy transition space and have seen the value of true collaboration to address one of the biggest challenges of our time – climate change.
These are built on some basic principles of having the right people at the table, trusting relationships, clarity of purpose, open communications, shared data, effective leadership and shared decision making.
Just like dancing, collaboration is not easy, but the skills can be learned through practice as well as training in communication and group process. Anyone for a dance?
- Kieran Donnelly is managing director of Morrow Communications, a creative consultancy based in Holywood.
