Leading companies know that collaboration and creativity in supply chain (SC) relationships are critical to future competitiveness. Yet, many companies struggle to collaborate effectively. This reality raises the question: “How can managers overcome the cultural and structural impediments to SC collaboration?” Through a series of in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews, we identify core practices and key requirements to successful SC collaboration. Contingency and force field theories help transform our field study findings into a three‐stage model for improving SC collaboration. The constant challenge of persuading other managers and companies to pursue SC collaboration highlights the need for a proven‐path approach to SC collaboration.