In the latest Hospitality Assured Blog, Director, Heather Lishman outlines some Top Collaboration Tips for Hospitality Leaders:

Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal.  Sounds easy doesn’t it!  Ultimately, however, our entire industry is built on a foundation that celebrates specialisms, it celebrates our uniqueness as individuals and professionals and we therefore need to collaborate and work together with that in mind.  However, it is not just about a transaction and a commercial process – true collaboration is about relationships and a long-term mindset.  Here are some pointers to bear in mind;

Compelling proposition – have a vision that all stakeholders can feel motivated about

Objective setting and evaluation – agree the shared goals and measure what matters

Leadership and lines of responsibility need to be agreed, and all stakeholders agree accountability

Longevity – true collaborations evolve, pro-active engagement will ensure a meaningful legacy

All-encompassing sustainability – set objectives for economic, social and environmental impacts

Build relationships; be constructive, honest, transparent and willing to share knowledge

Ownership; ‘our’ not ‘my’.  Create a supportive environment and work together towards the vision

Respect the collaboration.    Show consideration and courtesy to all stakeholders.

Adapt and evolve.  Evaluate regularly and harness each stakeholders’ strengths

Teamwork, trust and constant learning.  Allow enough time to get to know all stakeholders.

Invest time and effort at the outset to ensure that the collaboration has firm foundations

Organise the project plans; agree time-lines and how outcomes will be communicated to all.

Noteworthy success – agree how you will define success and celebrate it accordingly.

Hospitality Assured recently had a fantastic learning and networking day at Hospitality Assured client, St Monica Trust in Bristol, where we learnt all about the collaborations that have helped to define the Trust as a forward-thinking pro-active organisation that has a positive social impact within the Bristol area.  Adrian Kirikmaa outlined a number of initiatives including; the School of Food, which is a collaboration between Michelin-starred chef, Josh Eggleton and Best Ambassador for Food winner Adrian Kirikmaa. These two highly experienced chefs have joined forces with the Ofsted outstanding rated Weston College, Ashton Gate Stadium and St Katherine’s School to develop a unique training programme that gives young people access to high-quality kitchens, industry experts and invaluable insights.  To find out more please see http://www.school-of-food.co.uk/

Therefore, here at Hospitality Assured, we implore you to reach out to other organisations and see how together you can achieve so much more than you can alone.

To find out more about how Hospitality Assured work and support organisations to optimise business and service excellence, visit www.hospitalityassured.com


About the Author: Heather Lishman

Heather, Director of Hospitality Assured is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (IOH) and currently serves on the IOH Executive Committee. A trained Hospitality Assured Assessor since 2011, Heather has assessed 40 business across the hospitality sector, and she now runs a successful hospitality consultancy. @HeatherLish