You Want to See What???

The meeting was going fine. Our Japanese hosts were very gracious. I could tell my American clients were enjoying the trip and were cautiously optimistic that we would get the deal done.?

Then the Japanese manager who was leading the meeting asked a question that caused one of my American clients to almost waterboard himself as he was drinking a glass of water.

I was in Osaka, Japan. I took clients from the US to meet some Japanese business owners and managers. A few months before, I was working with a Japanese manufacturer who was exploring building a relationship with local distribution companies. In the course of our dealings, one manager told me that the Japanese government had set aside a substantial amount of money to encourage Japanese companies to form partnerships with overseas companies.?

When I returned to Minneapolis, I visited several local companies. I explained that there were Japanese companies with government financial support, who are looking to partner with foreign companies.?

I then organized, together with the City of Minneapolis City Council and the Bio-Alliance, a return trip to Osaka, taking several Minneapolis business owners and a few local politicians to explore joint ventures with their Japanese counterparts.?

As I noted at the outset, one meeting was progressing nicely when our Japanese managers asked my client, “May we see your company’s 200 year plan?”

I should have prepared the Americans for that question. Yes, Japanese companies (like the Japanese government) have 200 year plans. That question was so shocking to the Americans. After all, many American companies have difficulty making and meeting two and five year plans.

Collaboration Is a Purposeful Activity. You Have to Drive to a Result

Building a collaborative ecosystem doesn’t just happen. The managers of companies looking to build a collaboration ecosystem must realize that it takes determination and a lot of work to make it function properly.

Mindset

Companies who want to enter a collaborative ecosystem must do so in the spirit of cooperation and generosity. You can’t go into the ecosystem thinking you’re going to take from the other participants and not share with or give back to them.?

That’s not how it’s going to work.

Long-Term Focus

Participants must prepare to think and act with a view towards the future. Where do you want to be 5-10 years down the road? Planning where you want to be in 10 years lets you act now to realize that goal. The long term perspective also enables you to examine "today's challenges" with a different lens and? prioritize in a more meaningful way.

Networking?

Ask yourself: Who do I need to help me get where I want to be? Networking is crucial to building a successful collaborative ecosystem. Who will be your partners in this? What connections do you have or can make to help the ecosystem run smoothly?

Collaboration Is Here to Stay

Lois Sonstegard is the Chief Executive Officer of Build2morrow in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. She is a management consultant, executive coach and advisor to C-suite level executives. Lois is a strong proponent of collaboration in the business world. She sees it as a positive and necessary model of modern business.?

In fact, she acts as a neutral advisor to companies in collaboration ecosystems. She helps members of the ecosystem to collaborate, working together for the collective good of the group

She hosts a three-day Collaboration Ecosystem Summit which you can read about and register here. In that summit, you will learn how to choose the right collaboration partners, maximize the benefits of collaboration and maximize your network resources.

If interested, you can call Lois at 952 200 6539 or visit her website here.?