Trust...

So I’ve been ruminating lately on why we don’t Collaborate more.

If the rough flow to a new product or service goes something like;

• Imagination
• Creativity
• Innovation
• Collaboration
• Commercialisation
• Product
• Distribution/ Availability
• Purchase

We all know we need collaboration to advance our ideas. In the lack of financial backing the only way through is value backing from collaborants.

I believe it's a form of funding that money can't buy.

Why does it seem to then break down at Collaboration?

My hunch is ‘TRUST’ and the lack thereof.

You won’t see a module in any MBA on ‘Trust’. It doesn’t loom large in Human Resource manuals. It certainly is not listed as a KPI that I’ve ever seen. Commercially it has no reward association; rather, the opposite usually applies. Supply Contracts don’t have a clause on it.

(Don’t start me on the legal acknowledgement of distrust that forms most contracts)

For Collaboration to be effective, or indeed work at all, parties must come from a perspective of Trust.

Can you be Trusted with someone’s idea?

Can you Trust the other collaborants with your baby?

Seth Godin has a nice definition of Trust.
Spend a moment placing his template over the relationships you have with your networks and if the collaboration cap fits…type in your password and get on with it!


"Where does trust come from"? Thus sayeth Seth...

Hint: it never comes from the good times and from the easy projects.
We trust people because they showed up when it wasn’t convenient, because they told the truth when it was easier to lie and because they kept a promise when they could have gotten away with breaking it.
Every tough time and every pressured project is another opportunity to earn the trust of someone you care about.

(originally posted at  http://thejohnnydeppstep.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/trust/)

Share the trust...it may just work.

Kevin Coffey (part of the Create and Innovate team)