My philosophy for a lot of my life (and still with some aspects today) has been, “If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” That might be because people like my father and other male figures I looked up to shared that same philosophy. It also might be because when I tried delagating work, it was not done or done wrong. Because of that I was seldom open to working with other people on projects. But over the years, I’ve learned that it’s inevitable.

That bears repeating:

Working with other people is inevitable.

Whether you do volunteer working or work a 9-5 or freelance, you will have to eventually work with other people on the same project. I’ve learned how to screen people and evaluate how well they work and if we would work well together; and I’ve worked with the same people on projects that have gone well and awry. When a project goes well, how you and the other person work is basically on autopilot. Just update each other when the time comes and you will eventually finish up with a great project. When a project goes awry (in our case, it was because the client was trying to take advantage of us being in college), we sat down and talked about how to deal with him, finished the project, and cut off ties. We didn’t let it affect our relationship.

So what are some things to look for in a freelance parrner? That all depends on you. Here are some helpful tips:

• You have to find someone you work well with. Most of my partners have been people I knew personally from school because I’ve worked with them on school projects and I know how they work. We share the same ethics and values, and never clash on anything. If there are disagreements, we sort them out quickly.
• They should compliment your skills. I am a developer, so it would make sense that I partner up with a designer. We both have our strengths, and when working on a project, we give the client a lot of value added by giving them experts on several aspects of their project.
• Find people who can help you. On the same token, you should find someone who knows a little about what you know. This will come in handy if you get overwhelmed with work-  you can subcontract it out to people you know personally and can get the job done. If you can find someone who wants to learn- even better. You can apprentice them.
• Continually Evaluate who you work with. This one might sound callous, especially if you work with friends. But it’s important to make sure you’re both (all) on the same page on a regular basis to make sure the quality of your work doesn’t suffer.
• Communication is key. This one should be a no brainer. No communication means you’re not on the same page.

It’s really important to find someone you work well with on client and side projects. It will improve the overall quality of your work  and probably relieve a little stress from your life. If you have any other tips, success stories, or horror stories, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Tags: partners, people, subcontractors, tips | Posted in Advice |