Cooperation and Collaboration

by John J. Trakselis Coaching Essay

“It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too): those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – Charles Darwin

“The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.” – Jonathan Haidt

Do you remember some of the old Western movies where the good guy faces down the bad guys? I think the image of the lone gunslinger is a part of our American culture, but if you look at those western shoot ‘em up movies again, you will notice the presence of someone who assisted our hero in accomplishing his task. Maybe it was a little boy who yelled “watch out” or maybe it was the townspeople who mustered their courage to provide that extra “oomph” so our hero could get the job done. Rarely did one guy win the day all by himself – especially when you consider the number of incidents typically leading up to the final “shootout.” Someone was always rooting for and/or standing by our hero in some way. Heck, even the “Lone” Ranger had Tonto.

“I never did anything alone. Whatever was accomplished in this country was accomplished collectively.” – Golda Meir

So what makes us think we have to do everything by ourselves? Yes, we have a responsibility to address those things requiring our attention. However, we must keep in mind there are a number of ways to go about completing our assignments, and asking for help is key. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion recently that there is nothing we get done as a result of our singular efforts.

Think “Win-Win”

One of the important principles in cooperating and collaborating with others is Stephen Covey’s principle of “Think Win-Win.” Organized sports, political races, winning an Oscar or a Grammy are “Win-Lose” in the minds of the general public. In many respects, this is unfortunate. Not to diminish those who catch the brass ring, but the fact is that “winners” all have one thing in common. They have someone behind them who enabled, empowered, assisted or even pushed them to get to where they are. The same is true for those who earn a place or get nominated for a significant accolade.

In my work as a Vistage Chair I get to see a number of speakers and business coaches whom the general public views as individual performers. Sure, they are often on the stage by themselves and they might be the center of attention. But, if you look at what goes on behind the scenes, you’ll see there are a number of things they accomplish that requires a supporting crew. In some cases it might be handling the administrative tasks – the details that would distract these professionals from concentrating and preparing themselves for what they get paid to do. In other cases, winners may have trusted collaborators who tell them the truth (as they see it) with the sole purpose of pointing out the blind spots which can hinder success.

I also work with a number of successful business owners, CEOs and senior executives, and I have not found one who doesn’t want a good team behind him or her to help drive the success of the whole company. In a team situation, you may have heard that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. What is a chain in a company? It is the myriad processes, systems and people who run the business on a day-to-day basis. A well-functioning group of purposeful people is a beautiful thing to watch. A dysfunctional team, on the other hand, can be painful to observe.

So, I encourage you to think about how you can accomplish more with the assistance of others.

Take in Feedback—Be Coachable

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson

At the personal level, I notice that in our rush to finish an assignment we may get irritated if someone suggests additional actions when we are ready to move toward completion. Notice your irritability! Take that extra minute and process that anger or fear or even sadness. Do you have an issue with the one who makes the suggestion? Not all “suggestions for improvement” are done with positive intent. While it may be hard to take disapproval of your work by someone who does not have your best interests at heart, see if you can focus on the quality of their suggestion. Is it helpful, practical or cost-effective? Will it add to the quality of the work? Will accepting the feedback improve your work, allow the project to be completed on time or be completed more economically? Is it part of the next phase or your work, i.e., is it essential now or for the future? Did you miss it when doing the work? Realize that it is rare when we can’t improve our work but also realize that you cannot reinvent the wheel every time you solve a problem, take on a challenge or pursue an opportunity.

Do You Belong Where You Are?

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro

At the organization level take a look at how your culture supports results by fostering teamwork. Is it a sharing culture or a hoarding culture? Is it hero driven or is it results driven? I like participative, collaborative and collegial cultures. More work gets done in this type of environment, and I think the people in the company have more of a sense of accomplishment and belonging. They feel seen, heard and accepted. Their work and the work of others have more meaning. The funny thing about cultures, however, is that no one individual fits all types of settings. In fact, one of the big factors that will determine the success of any individual is their fit. If you don’t fit in two things will happen: you will eventually be shunned and you will ostracize yourself—and not necessarily in that order.

What will Make My Cooperation and Collaboration Successful?

“Nothing truly valuable can be achieved except by the unselfish cooperation of many individuals.” – Albert Einstein

If we seek greater cooperation and collaboration, the following questions might be helpful in determining if we can work with a particular individual or with others in a certain company:

• Do I have clearly defined values?
• Does my task (or responsibilities) have a clearly defined mission?
• How do my mission and values correlate with the purpose and values of the people I want to work with – in other words are we in alignment?
• Am I working in or with a culture where I fit in?
• What will be my unique contribution?
• How effectively will I work with others, including team members and my boss?
• How strongly do I trust my answers to these questions?
• How can I validate my conclusions – who is capable and willing to give me useful feedback?

The Bottom Line

Give up the illusion that you have to do everything yourself, all of the time! You can receive a lot more help than you may realize and there is a a great deal of assistance available to you. Look for the opportunity to make 1 plus 1 equal to 3 or more. The Pareto Principle says that the first 20% of the effort produces 80% of the results. You can get a lot closer to that 100% if you learn how to cooperate and collaborate with others in your endeavors and in their assignments. Think about getting to 100% without more effort but with the backing of your collaborators.

“One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery.” – Wallace Stegner

And, there is more, there always is.

Be genuine.