This
blog marks KAURI's search to find the key principles for smart
collaboration - inspiring cases, insights, tips and tricks. It is based
on the input of its broad and diversified membership of private sector
companies, NGO's, academics and public authorities. You are welcome to
share your own insights, experiences and examples on this blog.
If you would like to discover the principles in detail, please read more.
The KAURI seven principles in “SMART Collaboration”
are:
1. Identify a challenge core to your sustainability
strategy and relevant to stakeholders
Every
organisation has the potential to provide a positive contribution to a
challenge. It requires introspection and
a more strategic thought process. In
what field does your core activity, expertise and know-how increase the
likelihood of making significant steps forward?
If you find an
answer to that question and form a coalition with partners that provide complementary
services in terms of expertise and leverage, the chances are you will make a huge
difference, what we consider as relevance.
It is
complexity that legitimizes collaboration, because complexity requires more
than one perspective to think and act. If you have influence, competence and capacity
enough to face the issue on your own, then you do not require collaboration.
2. Mobilize a
team of complementary actors
After a challenge is identified, it is time to look for structural
partners. Find actors that share the same
challenge. Take a holistic approach and by
broadening the scope of potentially involved partners, you will find the expertise,
approaches, beliefs and support that are different than yours and will
contribute towards a successful partnership. The only prerequisite that needs to be met is
the willingness of all partners to learn form, share and work with others. The more diverse the audience you can mobilise,
the more opportunities you create for systemic change. The result is win-win.
3. Be
transparent on why you participate
Even if you have found a common ground to work on, openness among
organisation is important as you don't want your partners to be involved with
contradictory activities. This could thwart the opportunity that brought you
together in the first place.
Stay true to who you are, accept the diversity and the unique
contribution each partner brings to the table.
Don't try to be perfect. Don't hide any agendas; instead be honest about
your position, other projects, and potential changes to occur. Be open about
your intentions and motivations to support collaborative project.
4. Be clear
on desired outcome and be result driven
In order to manage a collaboration with different players, goals should
be single minded, feasible, and measurable,
so different players involved can agree, feel motivated and understand what to
achieve.
5. Share each
other’s assets
Share and value the assets that each
partner brings to the table. An effective partnership will leverage and extend
each partner’s assets, so that the partnership’s scope is greater than either
organisation’s individual potential. Ensure
that the partnership will further your own mission, but will also offer a
return on investment for your partner organisation and will contribute to the
overall societal goal.
6. Manage the
partnership
Many KAURI-members favour an organizational partnership model with one
lead organization - an internal or external party who is in charge of overseeing
the process. This way one actor is
dedicated to pushing and streamlining the process forward. They tackle potential conflicts of interest
and keep focus, which might otherwise blur during the project.
Whether you assign one participant with a mandate to take the lead or
not, it should be clear to everyone what or who decides on rhythm and
direction.
This provides another learning-opportunity for partners involved who can
share their respective project-management methodology, ensuring the partnership
progresses in the best possible way.
7. Keep an
open and appreciative attitude
In a collaborative setup it is key to be pushed forward by the potential
and capabilities of your team as it exists now, to feed the process with what
is and not be discouraged by what it is not.
From a management perspective, collaboration is the most complex way of
getting things done. Collaborative
progress requires an appreciative openness and a set of additional
capabilities. Think of skills like evaluating
the best of what is currently on offer and unlocking potential among
participating people. A strong
imagination helps us unlock what might be and how to share it. Again,
this is a plea to bring people with all kind of skills and backgrounds around
the table: the managers, the policy makers, the scientists, the strategists,
the dreamers and the creatives.
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