On Collaboration Part 1

Working Collaboratively ? - Tips to Stay With it, If or When It Gets Tough

Collaboration is a skill, not just a mindset. It requires conscious practice, tools, and trust and ability to listen to respond to different viewpoints with an open mindset.

In my long freelance career, I have been lucky to be part of many productions and projects , where collaboration has been at the forefront. This has developed my skillset in communication as well as problem solving, and broaden my understanging about the infinite ways we tell stories differently. I have also realised that collaboration is something that can create something unexpected, and you will be challenged in many ways. Those of you who have collaborated on any kind of creative process, I am sure that there is at least one under your belt, that you would rather forget. Collaboration is rarely perfect and smooth. It can become a nightmare that you just need to get through. However, I think this is rare, but for some people,it can be a groundhog day over and over again.

On the other side, you also might find those dream collaborators, and you never want to work with anyone else again. It is so smooth sailing when you are found a partner in crime you just click with.

COLLABORATIVE ROOMS, Are they always what they say they are ?

- Have you ever struggled in rooms that should have been collaborative, that suddenly were not ; not having your voice heard, your ideas not listened to, or you feel you are there as someones assistant… And you had to work hard not to be sidelined. Sound familiar?That is not an inclusive nor a collaborative room.

I would love to hear your collaborative experiences and if you have faced any challenges how you encountered them ?

Here are some practical advice and observations, I have collected from my experiences. For avoiding some tensions in collaborative rooms, and building a sustainable, creative ways of working together. Without the drama.

1. Define Roles / What does “ Collaborative “  mean in this project?

• Set clear roles and responsibilities at the beginning: Who’s leading ? Who’s facilitating ? Who has final say. Explain your role and understanding of it.

• If you have a Project Lead or Director, then it is their job to clarify expectations how they would like to work .

• Agree that roles can shift if the process calls for it — this avoids power imbalances and stuck hierarchies. Think of roles as anchors. / This flexibility might not work for all.

  
  

2. Agree on Shared Intentions

Go beyond outcomes and talk about values:

• What kind of process do we want ?

• How do we want to feel when we work together ?

• What are we not willing to compromise on ?

• A shared vision doesn’t mean identical ideas — it means being aligned in purpose and curiosity.

  
  

3. Prepare for these ; Collaboration can stir other things on the surface :

• Miscommunication; on creative, practicals or general etc.

• Differing working speeds

• Uneven practical / emotional/ creative  labour

• Who makes the last decisions. Both? Then it should stay so. But sometimes the clear roles start to blur and one person starts to take over as thier EGO comes and says hello in the COLLABORATIVE process.

• And the above can affect the collaborators self confidence ; For example: Some people always have to have the last word. I call this is micro undermining. If I have already said the necessary,then why do you have to repeat me ? As a woman, it is a behaviour I have encountered way too much. In my earlier freelance days, I took it often with just a smile and a nod or insecurity; did I leave something unsaid, was it not clear that they had to repeat ? Asnwer is no. There is no need to do that unless your ego is so big that you have to have the last word no matter what. This can start creating a very toxic working relationship in the room, between the collaborators, and create an unhealthy balancing act if the collaborators are not agreeing shared intentions and values.

  
  

Where to go from there ? Do some Partner YOGA :)

MAYBE TRY SOLVING THINGS BY TALKING ? :

It is not always an option but the best way to unravel things.

Make it okay to pause and name what's happening. You both might have different perspectives on whatever the problem seems to be.

Best is to try to listen to both views and to find the truth where these problems are really coming from.

From my experience ; Many collaborative problems are EGO problems and insecurities that get in the way. And these strong feelings can come in other people by blaming YOU of everything that is going wrong.

It however is not the truth, this stems from elsewhere. ( as you know your own truth).

Hopefully a goodhonest talk can clear the air and you keep going like these two harmonious yogis. If not, you focus on the work, leave the problem outside and do your best in those circumstances.

Two individuals engage in a unique yoga pose, showcasing balance and collaboration.

4. Agree on a Feedback Culture

• Feedback should be done a week or few after finishing the project.

• Avoid vague criticism, keep it constructive. ( use maybe Liz Luhrmans )

5. Respect Different Work Rhythms in Rehearsal space

Some collaborators need time to think alone. Others work best by talking it out right on the spot. Neither is right or wrong. Of course you as collaborators need to get together to think also, otherwise , it is a little one sided. But our different ways of processing needs to be understood, so one can find the best flow in that collaboration. Tell eachother what you need to make your best work.

There needs to agreement and understanding about these.

• Quiet reflection

  
  

• Verbal brainstorming

  
  

• Active doing 

  
  

• Letting something sit unfinished  

  
  

And don’t mistake silence or delay for disinterest.

6. Use Collaboration Tools

Don’t rely solely on memory or email chains on things you have been developing.

Try:

• Video footage from Rehearsal

• Shared docs (Google Docs, Notion) for keeping ideas in one place.

• Zoom videos to give feedback if you can’t be in the same room.

• Moodboards / Lookbooks to communicate visual or emotional tone

• Pinterest mood boards /visual files

Amidst the misty forest, a graceful fairy dances, embodying the beauty of embracing chaos to find clarity.

7. Embrace the Mess

Tension and uncertainty are part of collaboration. They don't mean you're doing it wrong.But if patterns of harm, burnout, or silence are emerging -take it seriously. Talk. Bring in facilitation if needed. Pause. Restart. Working together should be challenging, but never destructive.

In the end, I really think that collaboration is ultimately an act of trust.

Trust in each other, in the work, and in the unknown.

Start small. Be honest. Stay open. Stay Humble. And remember: the best collaborative work often emerges not from pure perfect harmony (it can), but from the commitment to stay in relationship through the mess with trust. When there’s trust, a shared vision, and space to speak honestly, something really exciting can unfold. This is when I love collaborating. I always return to it, I  am always looking for new collaborations.

Please share some of your experiences. What makes a good or a bad collaborative experience ? What would you add to the tips above ?

If you agreed or enjoyed this content please click LIKE. Thank you !

Thanks for reading. Means a lot to me.

Krista x