30/05/26
As with project expectations, the approach to communication will be an organic, ever developing process – so this post will be added to over time: again, the exercise pre-supposes the presence of collaborators at this stage, and offers no contingency for their lack. Communication also needs to be structured around the existence of a proposal/ brief in my opinion: an understanding of direction, however initially light, is a necessary basis for the foundation elements of communication (frequency, methods, timings etc.). Without that, what are the participants communicating about and for?
Again, the focus of this project should be on developing the collaboration’s idea first – then identifying the practical details.
Any communication strategy needs to accommodate flexibility dependent on the level of individual collaborators involvement. If we use John-Steiner’s modalities as a reference point, family and integrative collaborators may be working very closely together, so could require frequent, face-to-face contact to discuss ideas, whereas complementary and distributed collaborators may need less frequent, possibly asynchronous approaches to be able to respond to specific tasks. Flex needs to be built into any communications strategy.
So, with the above in mind, the following (informed by foundational practices in my professional role) are considerations once the proposal is written and for when collaborators come on board: note, though laborious, these may need to be considered each time a new collaborator joins the project.
Principles – Ground Rules
Before choosing tools or planning schedules, ground rules should be agreed on:
- Response expectations – how quickly should be people reply?
- Decision making – consensus, majority vote or one-person has final say?
- Conflict resolution – how will disagreements be handled befor they escalate?
- Language and accessibility – how are multiple languages or abilities accommodated if collaborators span many?
Across the Project
Phase 1 – Initiation: Building shared understanding and trust
- Kick off meeting to align on vision, roles and expectations – in person if possible
- Agree upfront who speaks for the project – single spokesperson, rotating voice or collective sign-off
- Agree the collaborative framing – agree how credit, authorship and contribution will be shared
- Develop and agree on a collaborator charter – simple doc that captures how the group will work together
- Agree upon and set up shared tools. Make sure that everyone can access and is comfortable with them
- Establish a contact directory with each person’s preferred communication method – Google Shared doc
Phase 2 – Development: Keep momentum without micro-managing
- Regular check-in’s to share progress and surface blockers. Check-in method to be determined in negotiation with each collaborator and logged in contact directory
- Asynchronous updates – short updates (voice, written – method tbd) between meetings to retain an audit trail
- Dedicated channels by topic – maybe have separate spaces for creative decisions, logistics, finances and general conversations
- Document decisions as you go- memory fades, people join/ leave projects mid-stream
Phase 3 – Making: Coordinate without disrupting creative flow
- Move to more frequent and shorter check-ins during the creative process
- Have a coordination lead to chase actions, keep things moving
- Create a shared live document showing who is doing what and by when (project plan with milestones)
- Build in space for creative feedback – structured critique sessions as opposed to ad-hoc comments
Phase 4 – Release: Present a unified front whilst managing complexity
- More regular communication as project nears completion
- Clear escalation path for urgent decisions
- Immediate debrief after key events whilst details are fresh
Phase 5 – Reflection: Learn and Leave Well
- Structured retrospective: what worked, what didn’t, what would you do differently? (reflective statement with interviews with other collaborators)
- Archive communications for future reference (Learning Log)
- Acknowledge contributions formally
Watch Points
- Unequal participation – some collaborators will find communicating easier so structures have to be built in that allow quieter voices to have space
- Assumed understanding – what feels obvious to one person may not to another. Ensure that action points and decisions are documented and available to all, plus adopt a position of ‘over-communicate early’
- Tool fatigue – regularly check with collaborators regarding communication setup – it it still working? Be willing to change it
- Power dynamics – in mixed experience or cultural groups, be intentional about whose voice carries more weight
Tools
The following is a list of options for consideration. It needs honing down in collaboration with others
| Real-time messaging | What’sApp, Google Chat, text, telephone calls, Discord Channel |
| Video Meetings | Google Meet, Zoom, Teams (dependent if any collaborators are from official bodies) |
| Asynchronous voice/ video | What’s app, emailed voice notes |
| Shared documents | Google Docs |
| File Sharing | Google Drive |
| Task and Project Tracking | Clickup (free Gant Chart). Possibly only one ‘project manager’ (me) |
| Creative Process and Feedback | Miro, Milanote |