The Collaborating Organisation – so you think you know who you are working with!

The ‘top’ has decided you are going to collaborate and the contract has been signed with a fanfare of trumpets. Of course, you all know how you are going to operate, or do you? How many times have you started on a contract and not known who you have to deal with, both in your own company and in the partner company? What’s more, who’s going to be the ringmaster and get the show on the road?

 “When we have a technical problem, we phone them up and often we get handed on from department to department. Sometimes we never reach the right person!” Product Development Manager, Food Manufacturer

 What you really need now is a collaboration organisation chart (joint team) which will tell everyone who’s who, what they do and how to get in touch with them. This will also make it crystal clear that each partner company must have a supremo, a relationship manager, who can pull it all together. They can talk to their Board, department heads and each other. Low and behold you will have created something that is manageable and can ‘motor’. Simple?

 “Since this is our first meeting 18 months after the start of the contract, I suppose that I must be the Relationship Manager!” Chief Engineer, Global Construction Company (multi £m infrastructure project)

 Is this just motherhood and apple pie advice to our readers?