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  • Getting Your House in Order

1. Getting Your House in Order

Have you got the intent and capability to collaborate and will or does it fit with your business aims, operations and activities?

Do you have what it takes to collaborate?

To achieve its goals, a collaboration needs commitment from all sides. Organisations are good at defining what they want from others, but sometimes less able to assess their own capability to meet the demands of collaboration. This is not just process, procedure, systems and contracts - "hard" factors. It is also about people drivers and culture or "soft" factors, such as leadership, skills and motivation, which will govern behaviours and approaches at working level. Have you looked at your capability to collaborate in your business and is it a collaborative culture?

Why do you want to Collaborate?

Have you clarified why you need to collaborate and what you want to get from it? Have you spent the time to make sure you understand and select the right opportunities to collaborate, so you don't pursue any that are unlikely to add real value? Plus are you really clear about the benefits, so they can be communicated in your organisation. It is also important at this point to consider any potential risks associated with collaboration, so they can be assessed and addressed appropriately.

Are you and your team ready?

Make sure your leadership (whether that is one person or a few) support the initiative and remind everyone involved that they should all act as 'collaborative leaders' to ensure the success of your collaborative strategy. You also need to align your approach with the vision, values and objectives of your organisation. Ensure you communicate collaboration and its benefits within your business, setting out the advantages. It is vital that your team understand the objectives, targets, working practices and required behaviours for a collaborative approach. You need to support your team participating and don't expect all staff to have the necessary skills for collaborative working, so provide help where necessary. Do not use people who are not able to buy in to the concept.

HOW-TO GUIDE

INTRODUCTION
Getting your house in order
1.
Finding the right partner
2.
Establishing the right arrangements
3.
Managing and sustaining your relationship
4.
Disengage and Learn
5.
CentralPoint, 45 Beech Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8AD . Email: enquiries@icw.uk.com . Phone: 0203 691 1530
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