For Collaboration to Work

Let me start by saying that I love collaboration. It can really help you develop as a person and company. Not only do you get to work with great people, you also get a surge of new ideas because of the cross-pollination from different backgrounds.

Despite its merits, collaboration is tough. From what I've experienced, the problem lies with the different goals that each individual might have. For it to work, everyone must be working towards a common goal and everyone must benefit from the project.

If you ask me to collaborate with you on a project (usually without pay) and all I do is deliver my services under your command and control, then that's not collaboration it's free work. Instead gather a team, set a common goal and share all the rewards and pains. If your team is not willing to share the pain and risk, then they are not looking for collaboration but for work.

There's a very fine line between collaboration and work. Set a vision, share the outcome and collaborate with people that inspire you. If you see that it's not working out then either stop or turn the project into a typical work project.