Collaboration

LEADERSHIP
SALES
MARKETING
Why
Collaboration
Sometimes
Doesn’t
Work
story by PAM McGEE | illustration by SHAWN OLSON
The Beatles were successful because they collaborated at the right time, with the right music, and the
right talent. Space travel is a huge collaborative success story. The United States, Russia, the European
Union, and China are not only sharing the same vision, but they are also collaborating on resources
and equipment. Integrative software where ISVs, retailers, and Microsoft collaborate on an end-to-end
solution to the customer is often a success story. Beware, collaboration doesn’t always work, and it
certainly doesn’t always result in positive ROI, satisfied employees, loyal customers, and timely results.
During a round of 25 interviews (group and individual), people were asked, “When has collaboration not
worked?” They responded:
» “It doesn’t work when it is too difficult and creates extra work.”
» “It doesn’t work when the purpose is collaboration, not a solution for a customer, team, or business reason.”
» “It doesn’t work if people are shallow and only in the game for their gain.”
» “It doesn’t work if you create a sense of ‘losing power’.”
» “It doesn’t work when people don’t believe that collaboration is real, and they sense a preconceived notion that
the desired collaboration is only lip service.”
» “It doesn’t work when people don’t see possibility or are not open to others’ ideas.”
18 FALL 2015 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM