The Common Pitfalls of Collaboration: Overcoming Competitiveness, Personal Agendas, and Resistance

Statistics reveal that less than half of all multi-organizational collaborations within the social change realm achieve their intended goals. This means that the majority of these ventures fail to reach their full potential, often falling apart before the finish line.

This is concerning as collaborations are designed to create a deeper impact within our communities. When these collective efforts fall short, the communities we serve are the ones that bear the brunt, with ongoing societal issues persisting largely unchanged. From my experience, there are three interpersonal challenges that typically thwart collaborative endeavors: competitiveness, personal agendas, and resistance.

Competitiveness

In our society, we are groomed to compete from a young age. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a healthy level of competition. However, when our objective is to improve lives and create healthier communities, the mindset of ‘winning at all costs’ can be detrimental. Collaboration is about bringing together the strengths of each participant, creating an environment where everyone wins. Therefore, as changemakers, we must shift our focus from winning for ourselves or our organization, to creating a space where every stakeholder benefits.

Personal Agendas

One method of fostering this environment is by discussing personal agendas openly. Agendas are often considered in a negative light, causing people to avoid discussing them, which then leaves the collaboration susceptible to the issues these undisclosed agendas might trigger later on. But let’s be honest, everyone has an agenda because we all have aspirations. The crucial aspect here is to ensure our personal goals don’t jeopardize the collective purpose.

Resistance

Ignoring this step can be disastrous. I’ve witnessed firsthand how hidden agendas breed resistance, leading to frustration, relationship breakdowns, and even resentment. By not openly sharing personal agendas, we risk eroding trust, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and stress – not to mention the physical toll stress takes on our bodies!

So, how can we fortify ourselves and our collective initiatives against these pitfalls? The answer is straightforward: start the conversation about personal agendas from the outset. By doing so, you’ll reap several benefits:

1. Smooth the path to achieving your shared goals by preempting and mitigating potential conflicts.
2. Realize your vision of improving lives and community conditions more effectively.
3. Avoid the emotional and physical distress associated with strained relationships.
4. Lay the foundation for effective communication throughout your collaborative journey.
5. Foster a relationship rooted in trust from the beginning.

Take Right Action

The adversaries of successful collaboration – competitiveness, personal agendas, and resistance – can wreak havoc within communities. We see this all too often in the political realm where lack of cooperation hampers progress. As social changemakers, our collective aim is to transform lives and communities positively. Remember, the traditional competitive mindset, personal agendas, and resistance – are interrelated enemies of collaboration. Make space at the beginning of your partnership to address these issues head-on, fostering trust and mutual understanding, and paving the way for future success.