The idea is beginning to take shape, even if that shape is half amoeba and half dodecahedron. That is to say, it's formed, but still alive. Complex and simple. Half firm and half forming. I won't go into too much detail—you can see a few fledglings of the project by clicking on his boney logo—but what struck me when talking to him were a few lessons on how collaboration works.
I've taken a moment to write down a few of my unicellular and multifaceted ideas. Read these and collaborate with me. Do my ideas need work? Would you consider these ideas when working on your next project? How do you begin your collaborative projects?
1. Meet as many people as you can. Shake hands of interested and uninterested people alike. It builds word of mouth and lets people know that you are truly interested in what you're working on.
2. People are drawn to authentic enthusiasm. Don't try to sell your idea to collaborators. Explain your passion and if they're interested, they'll take part.
3. Vet potential collaborators to make sure they're willing. I've seen too many people get involved with organizations and then not pull their weight. Before our meeting, Dave stalked me on the internet and knew what my public persona was about.
4. Start any meeting by asking questions. Don't just launch into what you want to do, but ask potential collaborators about what they want to do. If it's a fit, roll with it.
5. Be open minded. Keep your ideas as amoebae so you don't miss out on any really good possibilities.
Again, please share you're tips for collaborations and let me know what you think of mine. Thanks for reading.
1 comments:
This really ties in with a blog post I just wrote for The Women's Museum blog. I think that you really hit on a lot of good points about how to collaborate as an individual! For non-profits, collaboration has become increasingly important given the current economy. Collaborating organizations is key for the success of campaigns, programs and, for museums, exhibits and collections.
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