Ever feel like every collaboration starts great, but slowly devolves into months of friction, awkward conversations, or resentments?

Maybe you’ve had a couple of successful collaborations, so you know what they can do for your business.

The truth is, collaborations are hard. Because you are entering into a business relationship with someone else. And no two people will think or act the same way.

I’ve helped hundreds of collaborations over the years, and the truth is that most collaboration mistakes aren’t dramatic. And these three common mistakes quietly destroy collaborations.

In this post, I’m sharing these three mistakes and a simple copy-and-paste sentence you can use to fix each one. So your next collaboration can avoid each of these common hiccups.

Rather watch?

Psst…would you rather watch than read? Then hit play below!

https://youtu.be/TMkTsboFzjQ

Mistake 1: Unclear ownership

In the last post, we talked about how unstated assumptions are the crux of most collaboration disagreements. And the biggest unstated assumption is often how copyright ownership will be handled.

Each of you is making assumptions about not only how you can use it during the collaboration, but afterwards. So you need to get on the same page about how you can sell, repurpose, license, or use that final output after the collaboration ends.

A couple of years ago, a creative came to me upset because her collaboration partner was continuing to use the thing they created in her own business.

It turns out, it was a simple misunderstanding. Her collaboration partner was planning on compensating her.

But because they had never discussed how it could be used, what the process was if they wanted to use it, how to ask permission, and how to compensate the other, they both had different assumptions. And both were assuming what the process would look like based on their own prior experiences.

The simple fix

Here’s your simple fix to avoid that problem. 

Each collaborator retains copyright to their contribution. Any commercial use of the combined work requires written permission from both collaborators.

You could also spell out how you’ll share any profits from this use. But often it’s better to agree on this on a case-by-case basis, because it will vary based on what they are doing.

So that’s mistake number one, not spelling out how ownership is going to work, not only during the collaboration, but once the collaboration ends.

Mistake 2: Assuming agreement

Another common hiccup is assuming you’ll always agree on how to handle things.

Part of the reason you’re collaborating is that you each bring certain skills and talents to the collaboration. So you need to trust your collaborator to have the final say when decisions are clearly in her wheelhouse.

This comes up a lot when I’m creating contracts before a collaboration starts. I want to know who the ultimate decision maker is for different items. And I ask them to decide who is ultimately responsible for each item.

This ultimate ownership is even more important when there are only two of you. Because if you each vote a different way, then no decision can be made.

And so you need to identify who is going to be the ultimate decision maker. Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t listen to the input, advice, or experience of your collaborator. But one person should be ultimately responsible for making the final decision.

And each of you needs to trust the other to make those decisions. You give her the hat when it’s in her wheelhouse, and she does the same for you when it’s in yours.

The simple fix

Here’s your simple sentence to avoid that mistake. 

Jane will have the final decision when it comes to production, design, and creative. Kiffanie will have the final decision when it comes to the business plan, marketing, and strategy.

Mistake 3: Unclear feedback windows

If you watched the client contract playlist, you’ll know that I think open-ended feedback windows kill momentum. 

Timelines aren’t just for one side. They help keep projects moving forward and everyone excited and engaged. Projects stall out when timelines or feedback windows are vague.

Most collaborations are often something in addition to your regular business. And when things get busy, they are the first to get pushed down the to-do list.

So you need to lay out a realistic process for those busy times.

The simple fix

Our simple feedback here aligns with what you do in your client contract: state that approval is automatic if feedback isn’t given in a specific period of time.

Feedback is due for all deliverables within five business days. If no feedback is received, it will be considered approved.

This means you are not stuck in limbo, because they are swamped and don’t have time to provide feedback.

Of course, five days might not work for every collaboration, deliverable, or situation.

Maybe it’s okay to do five days when it’s initial sketches, and we’re gonna try to just pick a direction. But for the final details, you need two weeks.

You should pick whatever feels fair and doable in your situation.

How to start the conversation

If you’ve made one of these mistakes in a previous collaboration and don’t want to repeat it, how do you start this conversation with your collaborator?

First off, I want to dispel the fear that your collaborator will feel like you are trying to make things too formal, get the upper hand, or tamp down creativity.

The reality is that your collaborator is going to be grateful that you had the courage to start the conversation. They have these same fears and worries. Most of them have been in a collaboration that’s gone wrong in the past, and they might not have the courage or the tools to know how to change things.

Here is a possible script you can use to start the conversation,

Based on previous collaborations, I found that we keep things moving forward if someone has final sign-off on designs. Would you be comfortable with me having that final sign-off?

How would you feel if someone said this to you?

How does it feel when you read it outloud? 

You might feel nervous to start the conversation, but the more you practice, the more confident you’ll get.

And if asking your collaborator this simple question pushes them over the edge, that’s probably important information to know before you start a collaboration. You’ll be grateful that you learned it wasn’t a good fit in advance, rather than discovering it the hard way halfway through the collaboration.

If you want a place to role-play these exchanges with other creatives and get input, that type of support exists inside the artist’s Courtyard.