From an article on collaboration published in Learning Technologies magazine:

Commitment by team members

It’s great to begin a long-term collaboration with a face-to-face meeting. Either in person or virtual, social bonding comes before business, for that’s the platform on which the work will be built. Begin with games and getting-to-know-you exercises. Give people time to talk and become familiar with one another.

Social connections remain vital throughout the collaboration. People work best with people they know. Encourage people to share information about themselves. Post photographs of participants. Pinpoint their locations on a map..

It’s important that collaborators are working under the same set of assumptions. Discuss each of these areas and ask for individual commitment to them.

• Respect the team, and do what is best to accomplish the objective. Be selfless, not selfish.
• Members will be active. If a member spots something to improve the collaboration, she volunteers to do it.
• Members freely share ideas and suggestions. They do not hoard information or keep secrets.
• Members treat each other with respect. The team is committed to continuous improvement.
• Members care for one another emotionally, helping one another over rough spots and fears.
• Use whatever tools are appropriate to advance the project: phone calls, on-line meetings.
• Members trust one another. They “make this marriage work.”

Be prepared for push-back. Workers who see collaboration as hindering their work rather than supporting it will be reluctant to join the effort. Organizations that are accustomed to a single viewpoint (usually top management’s) can become rattled as other voices begin to speak. It’s useful to recruit a band of early supporters to help sell the value of the project.