Making it work – the soft stuff

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey suggests face-to-face collaborations are most likely to be successful. Meeting the people you are working with catalyses the relationship – particularly early on. Rely on virtual stuff later.

TRUST EACH OTHER – A BIT

Major obstacles to collaboration include culture clash, divergent strategic interests and fear of IP poaching. No wonder trust is important. But it isn't critical. The EIU report found very few collaborators totally trust their counterparts. Doesn't seem to mattermatter. The report said most collaborators expect and forgive lapses in judgement, and colaborations without trust can still be successful.

KEEP IT CIVIL

Play nice in the sandpit. Always be courteous (ABC), and turn off the sarcasm channel.

CELEBRATE

Celebrating successes, big and small, becomes more important the more people you have involved in a project, because that's a way to keep motivation high. Experts suggest people are often more incentivised by a celebration than by a few extra dollarsdollars.