Marketers often tell us they’re a “collaborative” organization or they’re a “collaborative” team. Agencies tell us they’re “collaborative” working with other agencies. But when it comes down to it, I’m not sure either marketers or agencies really understand what being “collaborative” really means or how to apply the term to their respective activities.

Unfortunately, the reality is that collaboration is being bandied about as a term that’s a polite way of actually saying something quite different. A couple of variations of this might be:

“Better include everyone we can think of to cover our collective asses…”

OR

“No idea – why don’t we get a bunch of people in a room to see if we can figure out what to do…”

OR

“Don’t care – get [parties concerned] in a room and make them sort it out…”

OR

“Better meet with these guys or it’ll look like we don’t value their opinion…”

OR

“I’m not going to risk making a decision – if it’s a collective decision then I / we can’t be blamed for it…”

OR

“Lots of people in a room will make us look good…”

Call it what you will. Defined like any of this and the idea of collaboration is a gong show.

So what is collaboration supposed to be?

Wikipedia tell us that the definition of “Collaboration is working with others to do a task and to achieve shared goals. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realized shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective determination to reach an identical objective – for example an endeavor that is creative in nature – by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus.”

Still a bit cumbersome, perhaps, but the heart of this is around “achieving shared goals” or “collective determination to reach an identical objective”. And that’s very different from just getting lots of people to provide an opinion (which typically just prolongs a process).

To get the most from collaboration, here are some points to consider:

Identify the right people to collaborate with

And by the right people, I’m talking about both the size of your collaboration team and the value each can bring to the process. Ideas and contribution that bright minds can provide, collaborative resources also know when to step aside and allow others to take the spotlight – thereby allowing better ideas to be pushed forward – faster.

Eliminate the wrong people

Not everyone works well in collaborative sessions – bossy, dominating personalities for example, will likely limit the participation of others, thereby diminishing the value of getting people together in the first place.

Define common goals / objectives

Obvious, perhaps – but before soliciting help, it’s crucial to define the specific objective you’re trying to achieve and eliminate issues that may obscure that objective.

Define roles

The most effective collaboration teams have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. But if those roles aren’t defined or demarcation lines aren’t clear (as in the case of marketers with multiple agencies on their roster), then effective collaboration can become difficult.

Empower someone to lead

Collaboration isn’t an excuse to put a process on autopilot in the hope objectives will be achieved, and collaboration isn’t a meeting about consensus. Collaboration requires a lead (or lead agency) who’s capable of putting personalities and agendas aside in favour of achieving a bigger goal.

By contrast, collaboration won’t work if:

There are too many people in the mix

The old adage of “too many cooks in the kitchen” holds true here. If you’re facing large groups or departments that you want to involve in a process – identify the best of the best and ensure they’re empowered accordingly.

There are too many irrelevant people in the mix

 If collaboration is used as a forum for consensus, the lowest common denominator will emerge and the group won’t deliver the best possible solution to drive the business forward – defeating the purpose of collaborating in the first place.

There’s no time 

Collaboration can rarely be used at a time of crisis because crises call for speedy decisions to alleviate specific, time-sensitive issues or situations.

There’s no leadership

Despite its name, collaboration needs a leader to initiate a collaborative process, but also to run it. A true leader will identify the right people, set the goals, define roles and create framework to get the most of several minds working together.

There’s no flexibility 

One of the great benefits of collaboration if used correctly is that it can yield unexpected solutions or results. And if you have a team that’s working really well together you should be prepared for (and welcome) original thinking that takes you out of your comfort zone.

Collaboration should never be viewed as a default, cover-your-butt solution and the word shouldn’t be used as a catch-all for dragging people into meetings. Collaboration can be extremely powerful if applied correctly, but can be a boat anchor to progress if used incorrectly, or for the wrong reasons.

Having trouble getting others on the same page?  Maybe we can collaborate on a solution…

Image by freepik.

A few years ago, I wrote about a ludicrous e-auction process by the British Government for their prestigious creative roster.  Their process was a shortsighted, misguided attempt at lowering costs without any consideration as to what constituted value.  It was a dim-witted idea, devoid of common sense, conceived by idiots.

Yes. I said idiots.  (Perhaps the same lot that came up with Brexit, I don’t know…). Unfortunately, the British Government is by no means alone in being dim-witted when it comes to coming up with daft ideas that end up treating agencies poorly. Many marketers seek deals that can be unsustainable for agencies. This might include extreme discounts, unpaid work, or extended payment terms. While aiming for the best value is understandable, these practices can damage the working relationship.

Think of it this way:  Agencies have resources, talent, and overhead costs to cover. Deep discounts or delayed payments make it difficult to deliver high-quality work. When this pressure becomes excessive, here are some potential consequences:

Provide fewer resources

Just like any business, agencies need to maintain healthy finances to deliver their best work. This means staffing projects with the right resources based on the agreed-upon scope and fees. When fees are significantly reduced, it can become difficult to dedicate the necessary team members and expertise to your project.

Provide less senior resources

To manage cost pressures, agencies may sometimes adjust their staffing approach. This could involve assigning less senior resources alongside senior guidance. While this can be a way to maintain project scope within budget, it’s important to be aware of the trade-offs. A client noticing a shift towards less experienced team members is a sure sign fee negotiations have likely impacted resource allocation.

Team burn-out

Limited resources, particularly when involving less experienced team members, places a strain on everyone else. This can lead to increased workload and potentially burnout, which will ultimately affect the quality of the work delivered. Inspiring strategies, exceptional creative, and innovative problem-solving typically thrive in environments where teams feel supported and have the bandwidth to excel.

The agency quits

If your agency quits – it’s more than just embarrassing – it’s expensive, time consuming and disruptive to then have to undertake an agency search. Even if your agency doesn’t quit – it’s likely they’ll be fishing for a competitive vertical business to replace your unprofitable account (even if you don’t know it).

Everything starts to cost extra

When budgets are significantly reduced or payment terms extended, it can be challenging to maintain the initial project scope. This may lead to the need for additional estimates, change orders, or contingency budgets. These adjustments can add complexity and potentially increase overall costs compared to the initial agreement – all of which may cost more than you’ve actually succeeded in cutting!

You’re handed an (unpleasant) year-end surprise

Even if you succeed in cutting costs, reducing fees or extending payment terms and you think you’re out of the woods, the chances of the agency coming back to you at the end of your fiscal year with a nasty surprise are high. Trust me when I say, ‘agencies keep track of the work they do, who’s working on what and how much your business really costs to service‘ (even if it doesn’t always appear as if they do!)

So…

In the marketing world, news travels faster than a social media hashtag, even across continents (think of it as the marketing gossip grapevine.) So, if you do manage to pull a fast one during a pitch process, become the life of the party at industry events by complaining about everything, and or treat your agency like a used napkin – let’s just say word gets around. Faster than you can say “unrealistic expectations.”

Remember, even the flashiest brand can’t hide a reputation for being a, shall we say, “frugal” client. There’s a sweet spot between value-conscious and, well, infamous.

And while your brand may be enticing, there’s a limit to what marketers should ask and what agencies should expect.