COLLABORATION

Looking for Friends in All the Right Places

Karen Wenzel, CTRSChris Katzenmeyer, CTRS

• Budget Constraints• Technology• Access to Resources• Complexity/

Specialization which requires multi-disciplinary expertise• Growing Trend in

Privatization• Globalization

THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION

THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION HAS INCREASED IN THE PAST 20 YEARS DUE TO…….

• Innovation is enhanced with the creativity of teams

• New resources are brought to the table

• Synergy is created – 1 + 1 = 3 or more

• Globalization – it widens our geographic reach

• Technology gives rise to independent and often interpersonal work – partnerships satisfy a human need for community

• Partnerships enable organizations to be more flexible

• Leveraging of competencies• Share Resources• Create New Ventures

REASONS FOR PARTNERSHIPS

• Facilities as joint venture, between public, private and nonprofit entities

• Privatization of parks, facilities & programs through subcontracting

• Corporate assistance for programs and projects

• Cooperative sponsorship of varied programs by public, voluntary and business organizations

COLLABORATION IN PARKS, RECREATION& LEISURE SERVICES HAVE INCLUDED

• Alliances of two or more organizations seeking a win-win situation• An agreement between

two or more parties based upon satisfaction of identified mutual needs• Dynamic agreement

between two or more parties based on satisfying mutually recognized needs

WHAT IS A PARTNERSHIP ORCOLLABORATION?

• PARTNERING – working relationships with a high degree of trust & close cooperation between two or more parties that contract with one another to accomplish mutually beneficial outcomes –not legally binding

• PARTNERSHIP- Legal relationship existing between two or more contractually associated as joint principals in a business venture

• COLLABORATION – Working jointly with others especially in in an intellectual endeavor

• ALLIANCE – a relationship that is strategic or tactical & entered into for mutual benefit by 2 or more having compatible or complementary interests & goals

• NETWORK – Interconnected or interrelated chain, group or system

PARTNERING

• NETWORK – Interconnected or interrelated chain, group or system

• JOINT VENTURE – Marrying the strength of 2 different organizations, when a new business entity is created by 2 or more independent businesses (parent companies)

• COLLABORATION – A legal agreement in which the involved parties retain their legal identity, but come together to provide enhanced services

• SYNERGISM – Simultaneous action of separate entities which together have a greater total effect than the sum of their individual parts

• COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT – focused on a single activity, services versus facility, not permanent

PARTNERING

• Mergers• Acquisitions• Franchise• Licensing• Cooperative

Agreements• Consortium• Network• Alliance

OTHER COMMONLY USED TERMS

• Union• Confederatio

n• Coalition• Partnership• League• Council• Association• Brain Trust

• 1980’s and 1990’s formation of special service districts

• Community volunteer advisory groups

• Internship programs• Hearts N Parks – • Healthy Aging Partnerships (OAA)• Childhood Obesity Programs• Physical Therapy Programs in

Recreation Centers• Public Private Partnership revived

Central Park and Mount Royal • Chico University Students and

National Forest Service cooperatively maintain campgrounds in California

• Silver Sneakers

EXAMPLES IN PARKS AND RECREATION

• Nonprofit Hockey Club built in-line hockey rink at a beach park

• Adjacent skateboard park – operated by YMCA

• Professional Hockey Team partnered with Recreation District and built 12.5 M ice arena (Illinois)

• Youth Programs – school and recreation partnerships for after school programs

• Night basketball leagues – youth at risk

• Community group adopting Columbine Memorial

EXAMPLESCONTINUED…

• High Risk/High Cost – maximum use of human resources

• TAKEOVER OR MERGER• JOINT VENTURE/EQUITY/PARTNERSHIP• RESEARCH &

DEVELOPMENT/TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER• JOINT MARKETING/DISTRIBUTION• CONSORTIUM/CONFEDERATION/COUNCIL• ALLIANCE• NETWORKS/CONSORTIUM/ASSOCIATION• PARTNERING• BRAIN TRUST

• Low Risk/Cost – minimum use of human resources

PYRAMID OF ALLIANCES

• ALLIANCE FOR THERAPEUTIC RECREATION

• Following a Summit Meeting of NTRS & ATRA

• Resolution to Cooperate• Resulted in Joint Committee on

Higher Education & Joint Committee on Long Term Care

• Three levels of engagement:– Communication– Cooperation– Collaboration

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION EXAMPLE

• Every man works better when he has a companion working in the same line, and yielding to the stimulus of suggestions, comparison, emulation. Great things have of course been done by solitary workers, but they have usually been done with doouble the pains they would have cost if they would have been produced in more general circumstances

~Henry James

• Greatness starts with superb people• Great groups and great leaders create one another• Every great group has a strong leader• Leaders love talent and know where to find it• Great groups are full of talented people who can work

together• Great groups see themselves as winning underdogs• Great groups think that they are on a mission from

God• Each great group is an island, but with a bridge to the

mainland• Great groups have enemies• People in great groups have blinders on – the project

is all they see• Great groups are optimists not realists• In great groups – the right person has the right job• The leader of great groups gives them what they

need and frees them the rest• Great groups “ship” (dreams with deadlines)• Great work is its own reward

NETWORKS OF GIFTED PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD – WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM PARTNERSHIPS THAT “SHOOK THE WORLD”

Competition Transcompetition

Bottom line results Process matters

Individual performance

Group/team performance

Secrecy, politics, games

Honesty, transparency

Beat the competition

Collaborate with others

Withhold information to acquire power

Swap/transfer knowledge & resources

MOVING BEYOND COMPETITION

Hierarchy Partnership

Company focus Market focus

Pyramidal Organization

Flat or Networked

Top Down/Bottom Up

Interactive

Paternalistic Collaborative

Productive Adaptive

Function Driven Process Driven

Position based Initiative or Team based

COMPARISON OF HEIRARCHICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

• Goal or Vision of partnership• What legal structure – level of

engagement• What form of business enterprise –

impacts liability, taxability, control of the business, duties

• Name of the Partnership• Who are the right players to have at

the table• Capitalization – what are the

resources each partner brings to the table

• Dispute resolution• Fiduciary responsibilities• How to evaluate the partnership• Who to report to• Corporate Cultures• How to Structure the actual work

ISSUE TO ADDRESS IN PARTNERSHIPS

• Furthers both/all parties mission• Involved activity related to the primary

activity of the participants• Fully evaluated before starting• Structured to provide equal benefit to

both• Operates as a business• Has a written plan or operation approved

by all• Has strong leadership• Has information systems to provide

accurate and timely date for decision making

• Recognizes the need for autonomy and balance with needs for integration

• Creates something synergistic – bigger than the sum of the parts

WHAT IS A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP

• What are intraindividual partnerhips?

• Personal support networks• Invite different perspectives• Sounding Boards• Call a huddle• Establish a brain trust• Conduct pathfinder peer review

processes• Create an inhouse ventures

group• Network with fellow professionals• “Bridge” groups• Mavens!• Sapiential Circles

BIG P PARTNERSHIP AND LITTLE P PARTNERSHIPS

• Mead believed that whenever our species found itself with immense and seemingly intractable problems, we formed Sapiential Circles – or “wisdom circles” that enabled us to get through the danger zones. They would often disband after the emergency was over. These gatherings of the wise ones emerged naturally out of the crisis; they were neither imposed on humans nor did they possess the usual stagnating bureaucracies with political agendas

MARGARET MEAD –

SAPIENTIAL CIRCLES

• NASA Technology Transfer/Research• Alliance for Therapeutic

Recreation• Pharmaceutical/Corporate

partnerships• RTD Training Partnership• Formation of the Rocky

Mountain MS Center at Anschutz Medical Campus

KAREN’S EXPERIENCES WITH PARTNERSHIPS

• Insurance Reimbursed Services in Parks and Recreation/Wellness

• Evidence Based Training Programs

• Consortium for Older Adult Wellness

• Lakewood Parks and Recreation – Fall Prevention

• State of Colorado – Chronic Disease Management Models

CHRIS’ EXPERIENCES WITH PARTNERSHIPS

•Don’t have a potluck – Plan the menu

understand the playing field before you

begin

PARTNERSHIPS - LESSONS LEARNED

• Can you hear me now?

•Develop an effective focused, community process•Good communication and involvement create “buy in” from the start

•Set your sights high

•Develop a vision•Clearly articulate what you want to accomplish in the partnership

• Take an X-RAY (deep look!)

Know your partner(s)

Identify all the assets and liabilities of

the prospect

•Check the Gas Tanks

–Gauge the capacity of the prospective partners

•Where are my glasses……

–Maintain a clear focus–Know what you are looking for

•Meet the Parents

–Intentionally create relationships within the partnership–Create communication processes and strategies

• It’s a Marriage

Make a long term commitment

to the partnership

• Feed and Nurture the Partnership

–Attend to all the details–Corporate Culture blending–Communication

•Celebrate your Success!

–Write it up – Brag - Celebrate

•THANK YOU!