How to work with other people
Collaboration can help combat loneliness
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Morning, Colleague
I know I harp on about us all being ‘colleagues’ (which I genuinely believe, especially when the alternative is being competitors) but for many of us working alone means just that: we’re alone. Whether you’re a sole trader, or hiring people to work for your company, it can be lonely when you lack relationships that feel entirely equal. I wanted to remind you that, without massively changing your business or finances, it’s always possible to collaborate with other people. Think of it as cherry picking the best parts of traditional employment.
It’s something I’m learning to do, pairing up with someone who works at a charity to create a campaign, but I’m in the early stages. So I thought it could be helpful to speak to Linda A. Thompson, who collaborates with fellow freelance writer Selma Franssen, on their (highly recommended) newsletter The Friendly Freelancer. I wanted to understand more about how their partnership has evolved, and any advice they had for other self-employed women considering a collab.
“Selma and I developed a professional relationship and friendship at the same time,” says Linda. “We met through a friend and she invited me to speak at an event. It was a positive experience, and we realised there was a bond between us as we’re both freelance journalists and have the same sort of challenges, and a strong desire to connect with other freelancers.
“The newsletter idea developed over time — originally we thought of organising an event, but Selma suggested working on a newsletter to promote it, and we realised we were more excited about that.
“It was daunting to work with a partner. As a self-employed person my schedule changes from one day to the next, and I worried about entering into a commitment. But that subsided, as Selma has a similar working style to me, and that became clear early on. We are good at communicating about expectations and boundaries.”
In short, they’re a dream team. Read on to find out how to emulate their success.
How do you get started with a joint project?
One phrase (ok, cliché) I picked up during office life that I’ve found continually useful is: expectation management. And any healthy collaboration is built on this foundation. Setting out your mutual skills and available time is the only way to avoid disappointment (or even resentment) further down the line.
“In the first meeting we divided up the workload, although we also have meetings when things come up unexpectedly,” says Linda. “A lot of work gets divided naturally. We have two versions of the newsletter, and I do the English version while Selma does the Dutch one.”
In terms of goal setting, it’s ok to have slightly different ideals as long as they don’t clash with one another: “I’m not sure we have the exact same ambitions for the newsletter, but we both want to grow the readership and start to make money,” says Linda. “I’m impatient and would like that to happen quickly, whereas Selma is more ok with it being gradual.
“We’re fairly good at disagreeing with each other and coming back to discuss things, when one of us will generally change their opinion.”
The benefits of working together
This is the good stuff. If you ever miss the energy of office life, or having the time and space to bounce ideas around, a peer collaboration could be the way forward.
“We’re combining two minds, so we tend to have better ideas. I’ve not had that before – I’ve been self-employed since I graduated – and it never ceases to amaze me,” says Linda.
“The second advantage is that having a partner pushes you out of your comfort zone in a good way. Selma is more willing to try out new stuff, for example we organised an after work virtual happy hour. I worried about what would happen if no one attended, but it went well. It’s good to have someone who challenges you.”
The possible pitfalls
“The obvious downside is that you have to compromise,” says Linda. “Sometimes I would rather do something another way, but that’s not how it works. Also the workflow can be a bit slower, for example if an email comes in we haven’t yet arrived at the stage were either of us can take decisions individually, so we often have a quick phone chat before replying.
“I’ve never really worked with a partner before, and I’m really enjoying it. Sometimes you start thinking you’re not good at working with other people, but having a partner with whom things have gone well has been a real confidence boost.”
Linda’s top tips for starting your own collaboration
Find someone you gel with. “A natural starting point is looking for a peer in your industry, with whom you have good chemistry and a similar working style. Ideally they’d have skills to complement yours.”
Set out your expectations. “Make it clear, for example, how long is too long when replying to emails. What are your preferred communication channels? What would be a deal breaker?”
Don’t over-commit. “I’d recommend starting small. Our initial idea was to try it out for six months.”
Launch an online product, especially if loneliness is a factor in seeking to collaborate. “It’s really helped with my sense of isolation, both in terms of working with a partner and reaching other people via the newsletter. As soon as you start doing something in the public domain so many interesting people and organisations reach out, I would definitely recommend it.”
Are you part of a collaboration? I’d love to hear about your experiences.