1. The joint effort should be exactly that: a meeting of two sides to share information and resources. But one group seems to be controlling the agenda and the distribution of work over the other—and is unwilling to spend the time with the other team
2. When expectations are established, it’s much easier to identify earlier on when they aren’t being met, and there are frequently times when failed expectations get lost in the myriad tasks of day-to-day work.
3. Communication lines are established, tasks assigned, a command structure is put in place. What about grievances? As anyone with experience beyond the playground knows, some people don’t work well together. Also, previous interactions can sour current relationships.
4. People working together to learn new things in new ways is both exciting and challenging—but internal conflicts are inevitable. Disagreements should be met with maturity or at least professionalism. Sometimes the resulting conflict will require an unhappy compromise or even a ceasefire until the reasons for the problem are exposed and dealt with.