Reasons Why Collaboration is Good
Self-awareness. Nothing crystalizes what you bring to the table more than when you articulate and distill what you are great at, and what you do poorly. The honesty about our strengths and weaknesses can force us to ask for help when necessary and be bold about how we can help others.
Scale. The old adage, "two heads are better than one" has been around for over four centuries for a reason. More effective problem solving happens when we can combine resources in talent, experience, finances and infrastructure. Sharing and leveraging those resources means that our reach to new audiences increases and re-energizes the connection you have with established stakeholders. Ecosystems rule, and as in nature, our social organizations thrive where there are diverse and complimentary systems that help enhance the missions of other organizations. Understand that our organization is part of a greater whole, and that there is power in that.
Creative Abrasion.
Abrasion, coined by Jerry Hirsch, an executive designer at Nissan, is a process of wearing down through friction--in a positive way. We typically associate friction with something negative, but friction in its purest form, is energy. So why not convert that energy that comes from working with people who are different from you, into something positive? Leverage the differences and work to identify what can be complementary about them. Which leads me to this next point...
Take the long view.
Sometimes collaborations don't work out when you collaborate with others, no matter how hard you try, how patient you are, and how well you listen. But does that necessarily mean you never attempt again to work with that organization? Take the long view about perceived failures, while an initial project may not do well, the partnership may still be salvageable.
Learn, learn, and learn some more!
Collaborating can propel our organization to become a learning organization. Right down AU's lane. As a learning organization, AU operates in a culture of ongoing learning, and structure that support learning through safety nets for failure, and opportunities for growth in all we do. Each time our organization collaborates with others we optimize the capacity of our members to extend beyond their comfort zone, grow, and in turn, stretch the boundaries of the organization.
If you are interested in learning more about All Partners Access Network (APAN), let’s talk! donald.sharpe.2@us.af.mil
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