Overview of Collaboration

Transcription

1 DURABLE COLLABORATION Overview of Collaboration Collaboration has many forms. One size does not fit all. Collaboration can mean anything from information sharing to merger. Every collaboration is shaped by unique circumstances, history, and organizational cultures. Collaboration is a means to an end, not an end in itself. An effective collaboration advances the mission of every partner. Collaboration is appropriate when partners share a goal that none can accomplish alone but is within reach if they work together. Collaborations formed to impress funders and shotgun marriages in response to crises are often doomed from the start. Relationships are at the heart of collaboration. Organizations collaborate, people form relationships. People at the right levels and roles in their organizations must invest time, care, and attention to develop productive working relationships. People take each other s measure; learn one another s strengths, weaknesses, and styles; and develop trust, respect, and perhaps friendship. This social capital pays long-term dividends to the collaboration and beyond. Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined. Who is empowered to make decisions? Which decisions require formal ratification by partner organizations? Who answers to whom? Clarity is essential. In collaborations, the potential for slippage and friction is greater than in a single organization. Basic skills and good work habits will serve you well. Most of the rules of collaboration, and most of the skills of good collaborators, are in the basic toolkit of healthy organizations and effective professionals: Good communication, strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and personal and organizational accountability. Leadership, recognition, and risk must be shared. Leadership can be difficult to exercise in a group of peers. Everyone wants to be sensitive to the needs of others, especially early in the process. Recognition must also be shared. When one organization is formally in the lead, these challenges may be especially tough. Stay strongly connected to each individual organization. Beware of the core people getting too far out ahead of others. Provide regular updates to boards and staff of participating organizations. Consider hosting joint gatherings for board members of all participating organizations, both to ensure that everyone receives the same information at the same time and to build relationships across organizations. Solid Ground Consulting 1

2 INSPIRED PRACTICES, INSPIRING NONPROFITS Range of Collaboration Options 2 Solid Ground Consulting

3 DURABLE COLLABORATION Collaboration Universe Solid Ground Consulting 3

4 INSPIRED PRACTICES, INSPIRING NONPROFITS Elements of Collaboration 1 - Clear Purpose 2 - The Right Partners 3 - Sound Structure and Governance 4 - Clear Roles and Responsibilities 5 - Respectful Personal Relationships 6 - Good Communications: Internal and External 7 - Fair and Effective Dispute Resolution 4 Solid Ground Consulting

5 DURABLE COLLABORATION Collaboration Readiness Checklist For each statement below, each group member should circle yes or no. Then compare your answers. We have identified a clear purpose and shared vision for the collaboration. This collaboration advances the mission of each partner. Members of the collaboration begin this process with a high degree of trust for each other. The right people are at the table from each organization. (Representatives are in positions of authority to commit their organization s resources or have access to decision-makers within their organization.) We have clear rules for making decisions, especially difficult ones. Each of the partners is prepared to commit the resources and capacity to participate fully in the collaboration. Members understand their roles and responsibilities and how they contribute to group goals and objectives. We have a core group of people with leadership skills and commitment. Collaboration partners understand what it takes to lead a collaborative and make it successful. Group members understand the need for balancing process (the how) and product (the what). We have tools to resolve those conflicts that require more than open communication. People enjoy being together. Solid Ground Consulting 5

6 INSPIRED PRACTICES, INSPIRING NONPROFITS Creating a Collaboration Charter DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE A charter is a written description of your collaboration that codifies important information about the collaboration and how participating groups will work together. It can take the form of a legal document, a memorandum of understanding, an informal description, or something else. Every collaboration is unique, so charters may differ in both content and format. As you think about creating a charter for your collaboration, consider the following elements: Collaboration Name Naming your collaboration makes it official and helps build the identity of the collaborative effort. Take the time to arrive at a name that reflects the purpose for the collaboration. Collaboration Partners List all the organizations in the collaboration. Purpose and Vision A purpose statement will guide the work of the collaboration and help everyone maintain focus. Otherwise it is easy to get off track and move into areas outside the scope of the original collaboration. It is critical to define the purpose, niche, and core activity for the collaboration. This will clarify what the collaboration does and does not do. Questions answered by the purpose statement should include: What needs does the collaboration exist to fill? How is the collaboration unique? What is the scope of the collaboration? The purpose statement should also paint a picture of the vision or desired outcome of the collaboration. What will the community look like when the collaboration has completely fulfilled its mission? A vision for the desired results will enable collaboration partners to track progress along the way. Guiding Principles Guiding principles serve as a touchstone for the collaboration partners to define the way they work together. Principles describe the values the collaboration holds and the beliefs that guide individual or organizational thinking, actions, and decisions. This is the section that spells out how we work together. 6 Solid Ground Consulting

7 DURABLE COLLABORATION Creating a Collaboration Charter (cont.) Strategies The charter should include statements about the overarching approaches that the collaboration will use to achieve the desired results. Unlike tactics, strategies are about the big picture, not the details. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES It s important that the charter spell out the role of the collaboration team as well as identify roles and responsibilities of each team member. Responsibilities of all members Specific responsibilities of individual members GOVERNANCE The governance section addresses issues around authority and decision-making. What is the governing body or forum? How many representatives does each partner organization have in the collaboration? How do partner organizations choose representatives? Change representatives? Is there a commitment to a term of service for representatives? How are new partners brought in to the collaboration? What kinds of decisions will the collaboration team be asked to make? How will the group make decisions? Majority rule, consensus, other? One vote per organization or one vote per person? Meetings If there are to be regularly scheduled meetings, expectations for attendance should be spelled out in the charter. Purpose Frequency Location Will minutes be taken? Who produces the minutes and where will they be filed? If a representative cannot attend, will an alternate be allowed? If so, with or without limitations? Internal Communications The charter should describe how partners will communicate with each other, including the form and frequency of communications. Solid Ground Consulting 7

8 INSPIRED PRACTICES, INSPIRING NONPROFITS About Solid Ground Consulting Solid Ground Consulting is a leadership, strategy, and organizational development consulting firm with deep roots in Oregon. Our mission is to build the capacity and confidence of leaders to make a difference in their communities. We help nonprofits, public agencies, and businesses in the Northwest and land conservation groups nationwide make the social, environmental, and economic difference they seek. We ve delivered on our promise with hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the country. It helps that we know what it s like to sit in the hot seat of leadership. We ve not only supported countless others in making tough decisions; we ve also faced and made them ourselves as community and organizational leaders. Our signature strengths include: Integrated organizational strategy. We approach activities such as planning, governance, leadership development, fundraising, and communications not as discrete silos, but as interdependent parts of high-performing organizations. Strategic planning is at the core of what we do. We have guided hundreds of nonprofit organizations, businesses, and public agencies through successful planning processes. Authentic engagement. We understand that engagement equals ownership. We work with you to design flexible ways to gather input from the stakeholders you care about, and then keep them invested in your mission and success. Sustainable leadership. We believe that leadership development is one of the richest investments in capacity-building an organization can make. From executive transitions to succession planning, we help organizations attract and keep top leaders. Additionally, we have trained dozens of boards across the U.S. in the principles and practices of effective governance, planning, resource development, strategic storytelling, and sustainable leadership. 8 Solid Ground Consulting