Week 23.11 Time to Collaborate

Collaboration has been a topic that has been coming up a lot for me recently. Dr. Bonita Thompson wrote her dissertation on the topic so it was interesting to hear about the importance of collaboration and how it invigorates an organization. I am in a massively collaborative cauldron with Nilofer Merchant, Stephen O'Shea, and Jacquelyn Lane as we put final touches and breathe life into our upcoming book, Becoming Coachable. And Allegra Kochman and I had dim sum the other day with my dear friend Ayse (Eye-Shay) Birsel and two of her friends—Yanki Yazgan and Sule Yazgan from Istanbul. Collaboration informed and invigorated each of the conversations and it got me thinking about why we collaborate and why it is so valuable. 

Collaboration builds trust. By definition, collaboration involves creating something with other people and an activity that involves other people requires trust. By requiring us to be open to others, collaboration builds trust through listening to other ideas,  sharing our ideas, and asking for others to build on support our common ambition. We often feel vulnerable when collaborating, especially when the work is meaningful or important. To feel safe to share our thoughts and ideas, especially the half-formed messy ones. As a group begins discussing a problem and the ideas and contributions begin to flow, we can feel invisible tendrils begin to stretch out and bind the group together, united in a common purpose. 

Collaboration allows for serendipity. Whether I’ve known someone for minutes or decades, collaboration allows me to learn new things about them and see previously invisible connections. More often than not, a collaboration has a “happy accident”, an unintentionally ideal outcome. It’s like watching the Tetris pieces fall together perfectly - the gaps that we have are filled by others and vice versa. During the best of my collaborations, we find places that neither of us would have thought to explore alone, turned corners that looked dark, and ended up with a light show. And when we expected something amazing, and it turned out to be less, with collaboration we were able to see past the downside and identify the nuggets of learning. 

Collaboration helps us think bigger. The gift of collaboration is that we don’t need to know it all. Each person has their own unique gifts, skills, and perspectives. I find that if there’s something I’m not particularly good at or don’t enjoy doing, there’s someone who is good at it and loves doing it. By coming together, both of our worlds are better. We too often think of ourselves as individuals playing a game - how can I outmaneuver my opponents and win? Collaboration shifts this dynamic by aligning all the individuals into a team working toward a common goal - how can I support this project so that we all win together? And how much more will we accomplish if we think collaboratively about our challenges?

Yanki summed it up best after lunch when he exclaimed, “I feel energized and alive.” In life and leadership, we flourish when we work together. We thrive in pairs, partnerships, and communities. Leaders never are alone; without followers, they are nothing. More today than ever, real leadership is collaboration - the art of bringing people together, of creating the space for each person to bring their greatness to the endeavor. It is the ability to step aside and let someone us take the reins when they are best suited to lead. As Marshall’s famously titled book states, what got us here won’t get us there. Now is the time to lead with collaboration.

PETRI DISH FOR COLLABORATION

We are counting down to our Design Salon, Collaboration on Collaboration, this Wednesday, 3/15, at 5 PM ET. I see collaboration everywhere. It’s like when I was pregnant and started seeing pregnant women everywhere. On Sunday, I had Dim Sum with my friends—Yanki Yazgan and Sule Yazgan from Istanbul, Scott Osman, and Allegra Kochman from the Upper West Side. In hindsight, our Dim Sum table was a Petri Dish for Collaboration. My friends didn't know each other, but I needed to bring them together. My gut told me something good would come of it. Designing for collaboration is getting the conditions right (you will hear more about these conditions on Wednesday.) Serendipity can be one of them. And if the one thing that comes out is new or deepening friendships, that is great too. Friendships often contain the seeds for future collaborations. Wait and see. Love, Ayse (click here to RSVP for the Salon)

3 Ways Business Leaders Are Helping Their Employees Find Their 'Pot Of Gold' by Rhett Power in Forbes

As a business leader, the last thing you want is for your team members to feel so disgruntled, disconnected, and dismayed that they resign. Yet it can be challenging to pinpoint exactly how to make sure your employees get enough purpose from what they do. Often, workers won’t say anything. Instead, they’ll allow their disenchantment to fester and grow until it compels them to say goodbye. Undoubtedly, it takes time, patience, and commitment to restructure your business in a way that will result in more engaged employees. Your approach will also be tailored to best fit your company and its workers. However, it’s worth the effort and resources to construct a culture where everyone feels valued and lucky to be rowing in the same direction.

With love, wonder and gratitude. Scott