Hartford Business Journal

16 Hartford Business Journal | March 22, 2021 | HartfordBusiness.com PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED 1+1=3: When people from different organizations - who would not otherwise fi nd themselves in the same room at the same time - are directed to work together on a project, the whole can be signifi cantly greater than the sum of its parts. By trading ideas, exchanging concepts, talking proposals out, and revising on the fl y, there can be a spark of a new idea, a new direction or new concept revealed, or an innovative approach hammered out. It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who said "Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up." Indeed, the result of collaboration could be two organizations forging an unforeseen and potentially more effective, productive or lucrative path forward. Gut Replaces Rut: Collaboration can be a breath of fresh air for an organization and employees. Often, organizations fall into predictable patterns, where employees are not challenged to be innovative or creative – the internal system is satisfi ed with predictability. Collaboration on a specifi c project – when individuals from two organizations are integrated to develop approaches or solutions outside their usual sphere of work – can get synapses fi ring in a new way. Feeling empowered, employees may emerge from the rut of "same old, same old," and trust their gut in suggesting new ways to achieve objectives. The benefi ts may accrue well beyond the collaborative project – to each of the organizations and the work that their employees do for other clients and customers. Discovery Channel: While two organizations may come together to advance a specifi c project, their work together may lead either or both of them down an entirely unexpected path. By working together, they may discover common interests that they had been unaware of, which can present additional opportunities to collaborate, or completely new and distinct business possibilities for the organizations individually. They may discover organizational abilities in specifi c aspects of their fi eld they had been unaware of or underestimated previously, which can suggest additional business opportunities. And they may discover previously hidden talents in employees that can be put to good use on other projects or programs in the organization's portfolio. New Math: From grade school to business school, we are always admonished to "do the math." But as individuals and organizations, we tend to fall into patterns – from balancing our checkbooks (or not) to accounting for client hours – that may not be the most effi cient and cost-effective way of proceeding. As we have discovered this past year, however, longstanding habits are hard to break. When two organizations collaborate, they often come to the project with different approaches or grounded in different systems. Having to forge a compromise, of necessity, can lead to the revelation that there is a different – and perhaps better – way of handling fi nancial matters that can provide far-reaching benefi ts to an organization. Different Eyes: Providing another organization an opportunity to get "up close and personal" with your organization, as a collaborative initiative runs its course, can provide an opportunity to see your organization through their eyes. If you ask, your collaborating organization will likely be happy to share their opinion. They may see you differently than you had hoped or anticipated, but in a world where perception often becomes reality, understanding what is in the eye of the beholder is absolutely critical. Having heard their perspective, changes to your organization – or its operations – may be appropriate and benefi cial, which might not have happened if not for the collaboration. Hidden in Plain Sight: The process of collaboration itself - fi guring out a way to productively work closely with another organization to meet a specifi c objective – can reveal to an organization an expertise or ability it did not know it possessed. You may also discover that your organization thrives when collaborating, and may suggest you pursue additional opportunities to collaborate with other fi rms. The old adage "one good turn deserves another" may apply – which may mean new chances for your organization to grow in reputation, in stature, in the delivery of services, in employee morale, and on the bottom line. Learn by Doing: Even as daily routines have been turned inside out and upside down, we have discovered there can be silver linings to the dark cloud that has been the past year. We are better able to evaluate past practices with fresh eyes, because we are seeing them – quite literally – from a different vantage point. In many instances, that has been accompanied by a reinvigorated appreciation for the value and intensity of collaboration. Collaboration with colleagues is now of necessity more distant – and more closely resembles what used to be commonplace in collaboration with people from partner organizations. It can require more effort (or technical prowess) to accomplish objectives when everyone isn't just down the hall from one another. But as we have seen, it can work – and there are benefi ts (see previous secrets) as well as hurdles. Hold that thought for the post-COVID era. "Organizations that embrace collaboration," someone once observed, "are poised to accomplish great things." Now, more than ever. The 7 Secret Benefi ts of Collaboration www.express-strategies.com 860.729.3021 | info@express-strategies.com Express Strategies provides expertise in advocacy writing, media relations, content development and project management. Working with businesses across industries, nonprofi t organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, charitable foundations and more. Collaborative initiatives between organizations develop for any number of reasons, but are often limited to a single project or purpose. The benefi ts of collaboration, however, can be considerably greater, and need not be unnecessarily limited. Here's a glimpse at seven "secret" benefi ts of collaboration. By Bernard Kavaler | Express Strategies SPONSORED CONTENT

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