ARTICLE
FROM 'GOOD IDEA' TO BUSINESS DISCIPLINE
What is the difference between collaboration and Collaborative Working?
We are often asked what the difference is between collaboration and Collaborative Working. Although the terms collaboration and Collaborative Working sound similar, they are not the same. Understanding the difference can help your business collaborate more effectively, to achieve results and create additional value.
Collaboration refers simply to people working together to achieve a shared goal.
Collaboration is at the heart of community and society. It occurs among family and friends, as well as within all types of groups – from sports teams to political parties to businesses. It also occurs between groups – such as when a league of sporting teams holds a charity fundraiser, or when businesses work together on a shared project.
Collaboration and Collaborative Working have three key factors in common:
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Connection between two or more parties
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Shared purpose of these parties
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Joint action by these parties
Collaboration is a good idea! But it’s just not enough to ensure business success…
Institute for Collaborative Working’s definition of Collaborative Working is: business relationships formed by committed organisations
to maximise joint performance for achievement of mutual objectives
and creation of additional value.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT COLLABORATIVE WORKING?
Collaborative Working is a business discipline that goes beyond collaboration, in recognition that collaboration alone is insufficient in the context of business success.
Collaboration is not enough, because collaboration may be either formal or informal, either planned or spontaneous, and either structured or haphazard. Where collaboration is too informal, spontaneous and haphazard, it is likely to also be misdirected, risky, or ineffective.
In contrast, Collaborative Working is always intentional, planned and structured – it is a business discipline with a framework for effective management involving formal systems comprised of practical guidance, policies, procedures and processes.
Collaboration is not enough, because it is not always embedded into business practice. Business systems and organisational cultures can conflict with or work against collaboration. This limits the likelihood of success and can make pursuing collaboration counterproductive in some business environments.
In contrast, Collaborative Working is an organisational operating model – it is a business management system that supports business goals and objectives, and aligns with other strategies and management systems operating in the business.
Collaboration is not enough, because it can mean different things to different people – or different things to different businesses. These inconsistencies can result in ineffectiveness and inefficiencies, and even in misunderstandings and disputes that may threaten the relationship.
In contrast, Collaborative Working is standardised practice – it provides a common language and a common framework that is implemented internally by each business alone and deployed jointly with each other as partners. Through tools such as the Joint Relationship Management Plan, this ensures that parties to a collaboration share common understanding on its key aspects including mutual objectives and management of risks.
Collaborative Working is a framework for structured collaboration,
and it is codified in an International Standard –
ISO 44001 Collaborative business relationship management systems.
KEY FEATURES OF COLLABORATIVE WORKING
Due to its intentionality and rigour, Collaborative Working has inherent features (which are not always evident in a collaboration) that make it an effective strategic tool for business success.
5 key features of Collaborative Working are:
1. Collaborative Working is structured and supported: Its deployment is facilitated by its management system framework comprised of practical guidance, policies, procedures and processes that embed it in business practice and focus it on business goals.
2. Collaborative Working is resourced and sustainable: Its requirements and processes focus strongly on ensuring high-level buy-in, on business priority and resourcing, and on allocation of responsibilities, accountabilities and actions.
3. Collaborative Working is both hard and soft: Collaborative culture, values, behaviours and relationships effectively combine together with collaborative business systems and the negotiated contracts and partnership documents legally underpinning relationships.
4. Collaborative Working is monitored and measured: Benefits realisation and the creation of additional value is its purpose and its requirements include establishing formal value creation processes for identifying and capturing additional value.
5. Collaborative Working is transferable and scalable: Success replication, new applications and larger scale deployments are made possible by the body of knowledge and operational awareness that grows with each collaborative relationship.
FROM 'GOOD IDEA' TO BUSINESS DISCIPLINE
If your business has been collaborating – but not deploying Collaborative Working – we suggest taking a first step toward this more strategic and effective approach. You could register for our Introduction to Collaborative Working course, attend our next webinar or virtual-visit us at an upcoming Community of Practice Drop-In.