Entrepreneurship Collaboration
“Collaboration is important not just because it’s a better way to learn. The spirit of collaboration is penetrating every institution and all of our lives. So learning to collaborate is part of equipping yourself for effectiveness, problem solving, innovation and life-long learning in an ever-changing networked economy.”
- Don Tapscott
No one is an island. There are benefits to getting the job done yourself at times, but, oftentimes, collaborating can make a world of difference when it comes to actually making the greatest impact. Plus, collaboration can push and pull you in ways you didn’t expect. We have so much to learn from each other. If you’re deciding whether or not to make your startup or big idea a collaborative effort, here are five benefits of collaboration you should consider:
1. Burnout Prevention
If you’re running a startup or deploying an invention, you obviously have a tremendous amount on your plate. Asking colleagues, mentors, and other people who are qualified to help to collaborate with you will help you avoid getting in over your head.
2. Damage Control
We all have blind spots. Other great minds will many times see things you don’t. They can help make you aware of potential challenges and pitfalls, and they can help you develop a game plan to outsmart what you’re up against. Many years ago as a young manager, the owner of a company gave me some great advice “Have people around you that are as smart as you or smarter than you” that advice has saved me from many pitfalls.
3. Personal Growth
Working in a vacuum means you don’t have the opportunity to learn and grow quite as much as you do when you’re working with other people. Collaborating gives you the chance to learn new skills, new communication techniques, and maybe some things about life from the people you’re working with.
4. Creativity Multiplied
Collaboration allows for new creative ideas to arise that will ultimately influence your overall success. Your team will help you come up with more creative solutions to problems, creative ways of marketing yourself, and creative ways of delivering your product or service. When we work together, our creativity multiplies in some unimaginable ways.
5. Doing What You Do Best
When you’re collaborating, you usually get to spend more time doing what you do best. You’re sharing the workload and offloading what isn’t your forte to people who are better equipped to handle it. This can be a tremendous gift because it allows you to focus on where you can truly have the most influence
Wesley Okeke is an expert at helping start-ups discover their value propositions. He specializes in helping tech innovators be more purpose driven.