Compete or Collaborate?

You know the quote “Be nice to people on your way up because you might meet them again on your way down” (attributed to Wilson Mizner).

Most people probably don’t plan to be coming back down but we never know when we may come across people again, up, down or sideways. And how we behave towards people the first time we meet will almost certainly impact how subsequent occasions turn out.

For me, I definitely favour collaboration, treating people well and being considerate of others.

Need an example of the benefit of this approach?

Late last year, I was on a mini-break in Berlin when I bumped in to a lady wearing a waterproof coat with the Birmingham Commonwealth Games logo…

…and I was carrying my bag with the same one!

Turns out we were both volunteers at the Games, both from different parts of the UK and both on a short break in Berlin!

A few minutes of Games conversation, some shared tips on places to visit in Berlin, a lovely encounter!

For work examples of the benefits of collaboration, just think about the more successful teams you’ve been a part of and how much they were the result of working together. For most roles and organisations, we achieve our best results and performance when we work in a way that supports each other. The challenge in the post-covid hybrid world is achieving collaboration remotely and, sometimes, asynchronously. But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. The technology is there to enable working together wherever and whenever we are.

And the approach I take in my process improvement work with my clients is to work collaboratively with the existing in house team to make changes. I don’t just turn up and make changes for the sake of it, all my work is to have a positive effect.

For more examples of my collaborative approach, check out my Case Studies page and LinkedIn recommendations. To discuss ways in which I can work with you to improve collaboration, just get in touch for a free initial consultation.