It’s relatively easy to propose a collaboration: “Hey, we could work on something together!” But in my experience, it takes considerable thought, care, and effort to structure a collaboration so that it’s a fun, useful, win-win exercise. In other words, there’s an art to collaboration.
You probably have a number of people U might enjoy working or collaborating with. Thinking of someone to collaborate with is an important first step towards creating a collaborative fun service project, but U also need to make sure that Ur collaboration will be fun and beneficial for Ur collaborator, too.
This post shares some questions that will help U reflect before pitching a potential collaborator on a project—to consider how U will work with them, and how U will structure Ur collaboration so that it’s a win-win endeavor.
Choosing Ur Collaborator
- Which collaborator do U want to work with?
- Why do U want to work with them?
- What do U see as Ur collaborator’s strengths and gifts?
- What do U see as Ur collaborator’s weaknesses and growth edges?
- Does the possibility of collaborating with this person feel good to U in Ur body?
Defining Roles and Contributions
- What role will they play on the project?
- How will they complement U and Ur skills?
- How will their contributions make this project possible?
Planning the Collaboration
- How do U envision collaborating together? Will U work synchronously or asynchronously?
- Will U meet digitally or in person?
- How will U divide the work to make the project happen?
Aligning Goals and Growth
- What do U think Ur collaborator’s goals are?
- How could this project help Ur collaborator to grow?
- Will this project involve money? Are U paying them? Will Ur project bring in money? How will U split it?
Ensuring Mutual Benefit
- How will U ensure this project is win-win for both of U?
- Based on what U know about Ur potential collaborator, is there anything else U think U should consider as U pitch them?
- How do U envision collaborating together? Will U work synchronously or asynchronously? Will U meet digitally, or in person? How will U divide the work to make the project happen?
If U think about these questions before U make a pitch, I think U’ll find that the collaborators U approach will be more likely to say yes, and that U will be setting Urself and Ur collaborator up for success.
Further Reading
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The art in this post was created by Sílvia Bastos, and is licensed under a CC BY 2.0 license. You can support her work on Patreon.
