Crash course in collaboration: How to collaborate for systems change

1.    Embrace trial and error 

Start without a strategy and allow yourself to evolve through experimentation and learning, rather than establishing a fixed, over-arching approach that might require significant effort to get underway or create tensions within the partnership.  

2.    Bring the decision-makers to the room 

Make sure that people of similar rank are involved in the collaboration from the start, and throughout the project. If one partner sends a junior figure to attend meetings, it can give the impression that they are not taking the initiative seriously. It also risks making decisions that don’t get the approval from HQ, derailing the partnership, and undermining future decisions. 

3.    Choose like-minded partners 

It’s key to partner with organizations who share the same big-picture goals and who have a positive attitude towards collaboration and collegiality.  

4.    Set clear boundaries 

Parties need to be mindful of the boundaries in terms of what they contribute through collaboration versus what is managed within their own organizations. Establishing clear boundaries is essential to avoid creating overlaps or misunderstandings. 

5.    Trust your partners and take risks together 

In successful collaborations, partners must trust and support each other, be willing to compromise and acknowledge that no one has all the answers.

6.    Appoint a dedicated coordinator 

Make sure to have a dedicated coordinator who is pulling everyone together, harmonizing things, and identifying where people have different opinions.  

Further reading 

The 8 essential design principles for a matrix organization  

Resetting collaboration in a changing world 

Perfect the art of collaboration: Understanding partners’ needs and cultures 

Sustainable finance: Acceleration depends on cross-sector collaboration  

Breaking down the barriers to ecosystem collaboration 

Test yourself: Are you ready for real collaboration on sustainability?