Collaboration

ON
HOMEFRONT
THE
Memoirs of a Great
COLLABORATION
story by
Ah, collaboration. Before I had a couple of great
professional instances under my belt, the word
conjured up memories of group projects in college.
Remember those groups? Two or three people did
99 percent of the work; one or two people showed
up to each meeting but had no idea what was going
on; another pledged help but never actually did anything; and the final
person disappeared after the first meeting and didn’t show up again
until the in-class presentation. (Statistically speaking, some of you
must fall into those latter categories. Don’t worry, I’m over it now.)
Those aforementioned professional instances washed away the
angst of the college ones. In my first professional role, I was fortunate
to work on a team where a group of talented
people came together to put on
events for Partners and customers.
If I break it down, there were two
things that really helped everything
come together: Roles and goals.
Each team member had a specific
role. We had one major event per
quarter, and a couple of smaller
ones sprinkled throughout the
year. The primary event managers
were assigned events on either side of the
calendar year, so that when one event ended, there was a small buffer
before the next one heated up.
Individuals were assigned to content management, marketing,
communications, sponsors, ancillary events, graphic elements,
keynote messaging, and so on. Many of these individuals kept the
same responsibilities event after event, so as to create a cadence,
although some roles did rotate from time to time to keep people fresh.
With these roles assigned, we moved forward and executed on our
events with very little burnout. Seriously. Sure, there were intense,
hands-up-in-the-air moments, but overall, we were a happy, sane
team. We even had lunch away from our desks and took strolls to
the vending machines to play the “if calories didn’t matter” game (it’s
pretty much what you imagine).
The other element of this team’s success was that we had a
common goal in mind: Serving Partners and customers. (Specifically,
to improve the lives and business success of Partners and customers).
When we were looking at a location, agenda, speakers, content,
stage design, etc., our audience was a key factor in the decision. Would
it be a good move for them? Would it enhance their experience?
In my first professional role, I was
fortunate to work on a team where a group
of talented people came together to put on
events for Partners and customers.
That came from the top down, and the company lived it and
breathed it. It was special, and I haven’t really seen anything like it
since.
Looking back with a fair dose of nostalgia, I think that team could
still be producing great experiences for Partners and customers. But
like most good things, that time came to an end. That experience was
a springboard for people to go out and create many other worthwhile
and service-oriented endeavors, and I am better for the lessons those
individuals shared with me.
12 FALL 2015 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM