The Magic of Collaboration

Greetings.  It's a brand new week and a perfect time to think about the magic of collaboration.  And not just getting along as colleagues and team members, but working together to learn, innovate, and deliver far more compelling value to the customers you serve.  Not that it's always easy.  In fact, most of the time it's a real challenge to climb out from under our silos, job descriptions, formal and informal training, ways of looking at the world, personalities, and all the other things that keep us from being brilliant together.

But what if we thought of collaboration and teamwork a bit differently.  What if we understood that it was all about bringing our own "genius" to bear and combining it with the genius of those around us?  What if we started to sing our best song, then asked others with different voices and styles to join in? Then, what if the magic of the moment sparked our innate curiosity and desire to improvise?  Maybe by singing in a different key.  Or by offering a new idea, tool, approach, or instrument.  But all the while building on what each of us brought to the table.

To understand what is truly possible in your world, take three minutes to watch a wonderful collaboration between two very different and remarkable legends in the field of contemporary music.  A collaboration filled with genius, new ideas, a bit of innovation, and–at the end–a powerful moment of mutual respect.  This could be you and your colleagues, partners, and customers.  Starting right now, with your very next "performance."  All it takes is the interest and the will to try and make it happen.  And, the commitment to practice until you get it right.  

We win in business and in life by using our special gifts to unlock the brilliance in others.  And by stretching beyond the bounds of what we know so well.  Will this be a year when you redefine what it means to collaborate?  It could be the smartest thing you do on the journey to your future success.

Cheers and have a noteworthy week ahead!