07
Progress

Keep your expectations realistic about how fast the collective can move forward. Effective and steady progress is actually the result of an adjusted pace, along with testing and correcting.

Fresh energy at the start often results in an equally energetic timeline, but those deadlines are rarely met. Bureaucracy, bottlenecks, oversights, or internal obstacles are just around the corner. Also, public and private actors usually operate at different rhythms.

Projects are often too complex to have all the details laid out from start to finish. Use the advantage of subgoals to avoid being overwhelmed, but also to provide some space for the inevitable changes and feedback loops. Work out a detailed timeline until the next subgoal, wrap it up with a reflection and evaluation, and then start working out the details of what you’re going to do next.

7.1 Tangible outcomes and pilots

Attach deliverables to your subgoals. This can be, for example, a partial product launch, quarterly report, or a joint mission statement. Regularly producing tangible outcomes keeps the group committed, and it gives them something to show for when they need to defend the collaboration internally. And, of course, producing successes together enhances mutual trust and goodwill. 

Also, the first deliverables will immediately expose the group dynamics and bottlenecks, especially when there is a deadline that needs to be met. Think about internal resistance, dysfunctional power relations, inefficient information flows, or disagreements on the best way to get things done. Keep this in mind, and start with a subgoal that has a small impact and low risk. Like a pilot. Backstage, things can go south without jeopardizing the project in front of an audience. This learning curve strengthens and smooths the group dynamics for the next challenge ahead.

7.2 Expectations and evaluations

Realistic expectations about what is possible and what certainly is not prevent frustrations or loss of credibility down the road. In many collaborations, the entire collective needs to move forward in order to get results. This means that one individual hiccup can delay the entire process. It also means that the collective often needs to adjust to the pace of the slowest-moving actor. Keep communicating about everyone’s progress or obstacles. Announce any delays from your side transparently and in time. This allows the others to review their own deadlines and organize themselves accordingly.

Progression is also about being bold in your ambitions and brave in your evaluations. If the goal is too far out of reach or the circumstances are too challenging, don’t hesitate to circle back on the objectives. Be aware of the pitfall of the sunk cost fallacy: our tendency to proceed with our investments, even though the costs far outweigh the benefits.

7.3 Recovering from setbacks

Many organizations have their own compliance practices in place to deal with severe liabilities, like financial discrepancies, environmental damage, or betrayal of confidentiality. But aside from formal or legal structures, But aside from formal or legal structures, a development like this also has a significant impact on the collaborative output and group dynamics.

As collaborations are often based on a voluntary framework, there are no official policies in place to address the situation together. But the foundation gets stronger when you do. Choose a setting that is appropriate for the specific situation, whether this is a brainstorm session, an informal get-together, or some personal phone calls. Address the following with honesty and creativity: (1) what exactly happened; (2) how could this have happened; (3) what is inevitably lost and needs to be accepted and managed; and (4) what can be learned and used as fertilizer to improve the situation, like updated safety protocols, improved stakeholder communication, or a more sustainable project design.