How to Collaborate
Look, I get it. I’m not ignorant to the fact that there are (blanks) out there. (Feel free to insert your favorite synonym for “jerks” in the “blanks” section. My favorite also starts with a “J” and all my Chicago friends will know exactly what I’m talking about.) There are some restaurant owners that won’t work with other restaurant owners because they don’t have everyone’s best interests in mind. There are fellow speakers, authors, and consultants that I have absolutely no interest in even sitting next to during the next summit much less actually talk to. But that doesn't preclude me from seeking out new people to partner with. As one fellow entrepreneur told me about 15 years ago when I started my own business “The right strategic partnerships can really make a big difference in the growth of your business.”
So how should we collaborate? Here are a few things I’ve learned, both within and outside of the credit union industry, from good and bad collaborative efforts that I’ve had over the years.
Trust but verify. Your close circle of friends and business associates is a close circle to you for a reason. So rely on the network you have built. As you develop a new business relationship that could develop into a true strategic partnership ask around. Ask about the credit union and the executive. Even if one person says he’s a (blank) or she’s a (blank) be cautious but come to your own conclusion. If multiple people form a consensus that’s negative about an individual or credit union you may want to create some distance in the relationship rather than collaborate on even a minor project. One person could just have had a bad experience. But multiple people having a bad experience with a particular executive or credit union is a trend you don’t want to be a part of.
Give....-->
BY KENNETH C. BATOR, MBA
As much as we are taught in college, in CUNA school, from webinars, and from conferences there are certain things that could really be useful to us that just aren’t taught in formal education. For instance, when I studied for the Series 7 test shortly out of college I learned a number of regulations and useless tidbits about the market but nothing to teach me how to be a quality stockbroker for my clients or how to attract the right business. Even today I think about how I developed my knowledge of branding, culture building, and strategic planning and very little of that expertise was built from my degree programs. I’ve come to believe the same is true when it comes to the art of collaboration.
Even in my MBA program on entrepreneurship, there w...
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Trust but verify. Your close circle of friends and business associates is a close circle to you for a reason. So rely on the network you have built. As you develop a new business relationship that could develop into a true strategic partnership ask around. Ask about the credit union and the executive. Even if one person says he’s a (blank) or she’s a (blank) be cautious but come to your own conclusion. If multiple people form a consensus that’s negative about an individual or credit union you may want to create some distance in the relationship rather than collaborate on even a minor project. One person could just have had a bad experience. But multiple people having a bad experience with a particular executive or credit union is a trend you don’t want to be a part of.
Give....-->
BY KENNETH C. BATOR, MBA
As much as we are taught in college, in CUNA school, from webinars, and from conferences there are certain things that could really be useful to us that just aren’t taught in formal education. For instance, when I studied for the Series 7 test shortly out of college I learned a number of regulations and useless tidbits about the market but nothing to teach me how to be a quality stockbroker for my clients or how to attract the right business. Even today I think about how I developed my knowledge of branding, culture building, and strategic planning and very little of that expertise was built from my degree programs. I’ve come to believe the same is true when it comes to the art of collaboration.
Even in my MBA program on entrepreneurship, there w...