It’s OK to Ask, 'What’s in It for Me?'

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Why should I invest time and energy in this collaboration? What am I going to get out of this experience? How will this undertaking serve my interests? What’s in it for me?

These are questions could-be collaborators understandably consider when deciding if and how to join forces with others.

Knoster, Villa, and Thousand (2000) offer a model for sustainable systems change that has also proven useful in diagnosing and resourcing complex collaborations. The model highlights a handful of necessary ingredients, tying each one’s absence to particular psychological responses, including frustration, anxiety, confusion, and resistance.

Incentive, one such ingredient, is often overlooked as a tool for building collaboration. Resistance is likely when improperly aligned incentives make it difficult for key players to see the value in enthusiastic participation, but are instead corralled into "getting on board."

Everyone needs something specific that encourages and motivates participation and action. Those specifics will vary from role to role and across time. What motivates one person will fail to motivate others. And what resonated with one person last year may not resonate with them this year. Thus, it is critical to resist the urge of deploying cookie-cutter incentives.

Instead, take time to understand what makes sense to your colleagues in their roles. Some may be motivated by recognition, others by the promise of a simpler way of doing business, others by having an authentic sense of ownership of the process, and yet others by stipends.

Consciously developing incentives helps build trust as it demonstrates your commitment to real people and their needs. Ask powerful questions to truly understand others’ pain points, frustrations, needs, and aspirations. For example, “Dream scenario, how could this project improve your world?” “What’s your ideal outcome here?” or “What would make all this effort worth it in your eyes?”

Many different incentives exist, ranging from self-development to financial gain. For example, here is a list of incentives, developed by students in my Psychology of Collaboration course, that can motivate and sustain engagement in collaborative work:

• Become a better communicator
• Develop a network of contacts
• Deepen my relationships with others
• Gain project management experience
• Get a positive grade or review
• Secure a job offer or promotion
• Make a real impact on the world
• Prove to myself that I can contribute
• Make use of what I learned previously
• Create something that doesn’t already exist
• Follow through on a commitment
• Enable others to do their best work
• Bring a major effort to completion
• Gain industry experience
• Learn about an interesting topic
• Explore new areas
• Satisfy my intellectual curiosity
• Gain experience working on a team
• Gain professional development
• Have fun
• Exercise agency
• Demonstrate my competence
• Build my resume
• Increase my confidence in my own abilities
• Add value to the project
• Complete a requirement
• Acquire knowledge
• Exercise autonomy
• Improve an existing product
• Fulfill a responsibility to others
• Acquire skills
• Compete
• Gain leadership experience
• Receive recognition
• Earn more money

What else would you add to the list? What incentives matter most to you? To your collaborators? To the extent possible, design your shared work to deliver those perks. Doing so will prevent project and relationship sabotage, unconscious or otherwise, ensuring participants are actively invested, and not just fulfilling an assignment.