Collaboration is key to improving health outcomes in our communities. But building strong, mutually-beneficial partnerships can be a challenge.

Writing for the Journal of the American Medical Association, Somava Stout, Lisa Simpson and Prabhjot Singh highlight the importance of establishing and maintaining trusting relationships between healthcare organizations and community-based partners. Under the themes of leading from within, leading together and leading for outcomes, the authors share 10 key steps to building trustworthy collaboration.

10 Key Steps to Building Trustworthy Collaboration

1. Develop a deep understanding of your own values, biases interests and priorities
2. Know what matters to one another
3. Identify shared values, interests and assets
4. Be clear about the level of collaboration that the partnership will be about
5. Develop shared agreements and norms for the collaboration
6. Develop mechanisms for accountability and resolving conflicts when they arise
7. Develop a compelling shared vision
8. Work backward from that shared outcome to develop a concrete plan
9. Hold oneself and one other accountable for delivering on the plan
10. Agree together what a good outcome is

Read more in JAMA