Micro vs. Macro Collaboration

My upcoming book, Break the Mold, is filled with real-life stories and examples of the principles I write about in these weekly emails. If you enjoy these articles, you'll love the book because it's not just about accounting or running a firm; it's about thinking differently to create remarkable outcomes. Stay tuned... It's coming this fall.

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I’m a big believer in collaboration. In fact, collaboration was one of the three pillars of my CEO platform at Baker Tilly. It’s also one of the most misunderstood words in business.

(I write about the other two pillars, why I decided on them, and how they enabled our incredible growth journey from $475M to $1.5B in my upcoming book, Break the Mold.)

And if you're saying, “Duh, Whitman, everyone believes in collaboration,” I have a question for you:

How do you define it?

Here’s an opportunity to slow down to speed up… Really, take a moment to pause reading and define it for yourself.

Ok, if your answer includes something about liking each other, communicating, helping each other out, and pitching in when asked, I’d tell you that while you’re not wrong, you are describing one type of collaboration.

I call that Micro Collaboration.

The kind of collaboration I’m talking about—the kind that propels organizations to differentiated results, growth, and scale—I call Macro Collaboration.

The difference is simple but profound. Micro Collaboration is about individuals helping each other in the moment. Macro Collaboration is about aligning the entire organization to work together toward a common strategy.

One is reactive. The other is intentional.

A Story That Illustrates the Gap

I was on a call recently with a firm where this topic came up directly. A newer team member said, “From my perspective, we collaborate quite nicely.” Before I could respond, a long-time leader jumped in:

“We like each other. We’re nice to each other. We help each other when asked. But we don’t collaborate in a proactive sense. We don’t collaborate to drive a common business goal.”

Brilliant. That hit the nail on the head. Helping a colleague finish a project, or teaming up to close a single piece of work—that’s Micro Collaboration. It’s fine, but it’s table stakes.

Macro Collaboration is different. It means people work horizontally across practices and silos, guided by a clear strategy. It’s not just about getting a project done; it’s about working together to move the entire firm forward in alignment with strategy. That’s the kind of collaboration that builds scale, sustainability, and long-term success.

Why Macro Collaboration Matters

Micro Collaboration is important, but by itself, it’s not enough to create a relevant and sustainable firm. In fact, it can create a false sense of progress or security.

Leaders hear “we collaborate” and assume the organization is aligned. In reality, people may be working together on projects, but they aren’t driving toward long-term strategic goals.

Micro Collaboration is common in firms that are vertical in nature—they operate based on a “sum of the parts” approach where leaders run their own practices and everyone’s revenue is added together at the end of the year. People help each other from time to time when needed, then return to their silos.

Macro Collaboration, on the other hand, is forward-thinking. It’s a sign of organizations that are horizontal in nature.

​​Here’s a refresher on the differences between horizontal vs. vertical operating models.​​

Macro Collaboration moves beyond, “How do we work together to get this project done?” and shifts toward, “How do we work together to help the firm accomplish its strategy?” It pushes the firm in ways that no single person or practice could achieve on their own. It requires:

• A shared strategy. Not just revenue targets, but a common mission and vision that are documented, distributed, and accepted.

• Shared accountability. Success is measured by what the firm achieves, not just individual wins.

• Cross-silo trust. Partners willing to do things that may not benefit them immediately, but strengthen the firm to benefit everyone in the long run.

Without Macro Collaboration, firms stay stuck in a “sum of the parts” model—busy, even profitable, but not building something sustainable. With Macro Collaboration, they create a multiplier effect where growth compounds and leads to scale.

Moving From Micro to Macro

The leap from Micro Collaboration to Macro Collaboration only happens when two things are present: a defined strategy and incentives aligned to that strategy.

Strategy sets the destination. Without it, collaboration defaults to project-by-project activity. Strategy defines the north star—the firmwide vision and mission that gives collaboration meaning beyond the task at hand. It turns activity into long-term alignment, and without it, Macro Collaboration can’t exist. How can partners work together across practices to achieve something bigger when that thing isn't clearly defined?

Incentives fuel the behavior. People behave based on how they’re rewarded. If incentives are only tied to individual or practice wins, collaboration will stay Micro. But when incentives—financial and otherwise—are aligned to firmwide strategy, people start thinking and acting beyond their own silo. From my experience at Baker Tilly, financial incentives (or repercussions) often do the loudest talking.

When strategy and incentives are working together, Micro Collaboration can evolve into Macro Collaboration. It creates a culture where people are willing to invest in work that may not benefit them immediately, but advances the firm as a whole. That’s the key to scaling collaboration across an organization.

The Bottom Line

If your team is saying “we collaborate well,” don’t stop there. Ask the harder question: are we collaborating to get things done, or to achieve something bigger?

Because Micro Collaboration keeps the lights on. Macro Collaboration builds the future.

Liking each other is great. Helping each other is great. But if you want to build a firm that scales, sustains, and thrives, you need more. You need collaboration with intention—anchored in strategy, reinforced by incentives, and designed to create differentiated results.

That’s the real meaning of collaboration—and what organizations should be aiming for.

If you’re having trouble distinguishing the difference between the two or enabling Macro Collaboration in your organization, let’s talk. I help CEOs and their leadership teams get aligned on long-term strategies that enable Macro Collaboration to drive growth and build scale.

You can book time on my calendar here and we’ll find time to connect.

With intention,
Alan D. Whitman