Worksheet6 Tip 7-12
Tips 9—12 | 6.2
9 Publicise what you’re doing
Get the brownie points; people – particularly commissioners and funders – will be interested. There aren’t that many success stories where collaboration is concerned, so make the most of yours.
10 Recognise the inter-personal dimension
Collaboration isn’t a love-in, but it’s far more than just a business relationship; a business-like approach is important, but trust, and a sense of common values and mutual support, are what make it work.
11 Generosity
It’s not about everybody getting equal shares of everything – collaboration depends on participants being prepared to adopt a “swings and roundabouts” approach; the key thing is that there should be enough overall benefit to make it worth your organisation’s taking part.
12 Do it with cake!
A tip from the Bolton Collaborate group, one of whose members brings homemade ones to their meetings. It has been suggested that a sense of “playfulness” is a powerful aid to generative thinking. Certainly, some of the most effective clusters are those where the members enjoy their time together, and where the barriers to discussion and brainstorming have been lowered.