Posted on September 15, 2011
I’ve been thinking about collaboration and the benefits of working with others. This article by Rabbi Hayim Herring, Ph.D. titled, “From Courageous Conversations to Daring Decisions: More Thoughts on Collaboration” is right to point out that working together benefits both cooperating parties. “Participants in a collaboration share jointly in the costs and benefits of working together,” Herring writes. This sentence really rings true with thoughts I’ve been having lately about what it means to collaborate. Collaborating is ideally both sides (or more) cooperating with one another and giving of themselves productively. Collaboration is not a passive task but an active and productive one that should benefit each party involved. When each party gives their all in terms of time and effort in working together both sides benefit, much like in our everyday relationships. “When organizations collaborate with one another, they make a conscious decision to cultivate a trusting, transparent relationship. Have you ever seen any healthy relationship come into being spontaneously?” A healthy relationship takes work and effort from both parties and the work is extremely rewarding to everyone involved. Collaboration is exciting for the many ideas that can come forth when different groups or individuals come together and much good can stem from those ideas which are brought to fruition and from the relationships that are forged from working together.
