10 Questions to Ask Yourself for a Successful Collaboration

Within the early ’90s we had been simply beginning out as younger entrepreneurs. We had been very inexperienced and really bold. We produced conferences for lodge buyers, and we had been holding one on the Beverly Hilton Resort in Beverly Hills, California, owned by legendary businessman and entertainer Merv Griffin. At a cocktail occasion he hosted for us on the opening night time of the convention, we and Griffin had been mingling with delegates, chatting about inns and explaining our perceived want for companions to assist construct our enterprise. Listening to the phrase “companion,” Griffin turned and stated decisively, “If you happen to don’t want a companion, don’t have one. Companions can get in the best way of what you wish to do.” These phrases made a profound impression on us. However reasonably than scare us away from partnering, they began us on a journey to construct our first profitable enterprise partnership.

We name our first step towards constructing profitable partnerships the “Thank You, Merv” precept. We all know Griffin wasn’t truly telling us, “Don’t have companions in enterprise.” He had many companions and enterprise relationships all through the years, together with King World, now CBS Tv Productions, and Sony Footage Leisure. These collaborations helped Griffin turn out to be profitable (he netted tens of millions when he bought his firm to Coca-Cola in 1986). We expect Griffin was actually saying that that you must know why you’re coming into right into a enterprise partnership, try to be real looking about what to anticipate and it is best to proceed with an affordable quantity of warning.

What we’re saying to you is, “Wait a minute. Step again. Take into consideration what you’re about to do.” If a possibility to companion on a venture or enterprise presents itself, make it possible for a collaboration is de facto what you want or need to be able to create or develop your corporation. Coming into right into a partnership just isn’t one thing to take evenly. It could, and probably will, have a profound influence on you and your corporation.

A primary query to think about is whether or not you’re coming into the potential partnership from a place of energy. Profitable partnerships begin with an actual function. There must be a “want” or a “need” to be fulfilled that’s compelling sufficient to beat forces that may pull you and your companion aside. A partnership must advance you or your corporation and enable you to obtain the extent of success you search. Whenever you occupy a weak place, you may want the partnership to be able to be viable, whereas if you come from a stronger place, you may want a partnership for freedom or aggressive benefit.

Once we’re approached with a possibility to companion, we put ourselves by way of a reasonably rigorous psychological course of. We begin by asking ourselves three issues:

1. How a lot will the venture price? Not solely in cash, however in time and assets.
2. Who’s doing the work? We wish to have a transparent thought about who within the partnership would do what.
3. What’s in it for us? Past monetary achieve, what are the opposite advantages for us? Are there any? And is the monetary achieve compelling sufficient?

If the preliminary solutions are constructive and believable, we dig deeper and ask ourselves questions designed to assist us consider not merely the concept of partnership however any particular gives on the desk:

1. Why can we wish to companion?
2. Do we want a companion or do we wish a companion, and do we actually know what these wants and/or desires are?
3. Will becoming a member of forces get us additional forward than we may get on our personal?
4. Do we all know the dangers in taking up a companion, and are we ready for these dangers?
5. What do we actually learn about this companion, their observe file, picture, objectives and targets?
6. Are we ready to surrender management, partly or in entire, of our concepts or enterprise and fix our future prospects for achievement to a different?
7. Are we prepared to share our success, and are we prepared to threat taking up another person’s failures?

It’s so essential to reply these questions fastidiously. Though partnerships can provide nice advantages, they will additionally pose nice dangers. Coming into right into a partnership does place restrictions in your concepts and the way you carry them out since your companion will often wish to have some say in how issues are achieved. As soon as the partnership is underway, your expectations may not be realized, and you will want to know how you can deal with the frustration. Sooner or later, differing priorities and factors of view could come up that require battle decision—will you have the ability to deal with that? Are you a fighter or a pushover? Lastly, though a partnership may deliver you extra independence as a result of you’ll have another person to assist carry the load, you may want to hold your companion’s load generally too.

Higher to spend a bit time pondering now than a number of time (and expense) extricating your self from a failed relationship later. In impact, what you’re doing in taking the time to assume is constructing a basis in your partnership. When a partnership is based mostly on a strong basis, there’s nothing higher. When a partnership begins on shaky floor, be careful.

This text was printed in September 2016 and has been up to date. Photograph by @SBphoto/Twenty20