How to shift from cooperation to collaboration
Rethinking collaboration: We achieve much more when we work in collaboration, but it requires a deeper level of trust.
Dear Rethinkers,
Who do you enjoy collaborating with in your life? True collaboration feels like a meaningful friendship of ideas. The greater the complexity problem, the greater the need for collaboration of ideas, viewpoints, and propositions. But true collaboration is hard. It’s different from cooperation, although they can look similar on the surface.
David Bowie was one of the greatest musicians of our time and a master collaborator. Under Pressure with Queen is an all-time classic. One of my favourite artistic collaborations was between Christo and Jeanne Claude, which resulted in L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped. Many great collaborators have produced incredible artworks together: John Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol; Man Ray and Marchel Duchamp; Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The list goes on and on…
When you look at truly creative collaborations across cultures, they often have similar qualities that we can learn from:
It’s not one-sided. They bring out the best in each other.
Creative tensions redefine limits and break boundaries.
They are based on mutual benefit but also trust and respect.
They are non-hierarchical relationships.
They celebrate the power of individuality within a group or partnership.
So, how do you make collaboration work when people are spread across countries, divisions and time zones?
Read on to learn more about the difference between cooperation and collaboration – and why we often confuse the two.
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