Collaboration Makes You Smarter
COLLABORATION MAKES YOU SMARTER
Two Heads Are Better Than One
H B Gelatt
None of us is as smart as all of us. Kenneth Blanchard
In his 1992 book, Discovering Common Ground, Marvin Weisbord’s main theme was that “the world was moving from experts solving problems FOR people, toward everybody, experts included, improving whole systems.” He said he believed this was the best strategy if you want long-term dignity, meaning and community. It seems like once again we are moving toward that but not there yet.
Recently President Obama was representing the United States at the G-20 Summit Meeting in London. This is where 20 nations were working together trying to solve the global economic crisis. “To work together” is one definition of collaboration. Obama is an experienced community worker, and he thinks like one, seeking common ground and promoting collective action.
In my opinion the Bush administration was an example of experts authoritatively, unilaterally solving problems for people (and for other nations) while the Obama administration is an example of involving everybody (and other nations) in collaborate decision making for improving whole systems. Although we don’t yet know the results of the current collaborative administration, we do know the results of the previous unilateral administration.
In a 2008 book, The Necessary Revolution by Peter Senge and others, the subtitle is: A guidebook for those who recognize the need to act and work together --- now. They present examples of organizations working collaboratively across boundaries, creating pathways that enable them to flourish in an increasingly interdependent world.
John Zogby in The Way We’ll Be,2008 lists some of the characteristics of the new “Global Generation” --- a broader worldview in general, heighten social awareness, genuine appreciation for diversity and multiculturalism, the most outward-looking and accepting generation in American history, more devoted to finding common ground on tough social issues.
Because of these global, organizational and personal trends, it is possible to be optimistic about the direction the world is heading. This article is about collaboration and it is part of my Process of Illumination (POI), promoting a more open and inclusive worldview
The strategy I propose is to recognize that self-interest and other-Interest are reciprocal (Marilyn Ferguson), which involves collaboration, common ground, and collective action. Someday I think we will see collaboration, instead of competition, as a sign of competence. Let’s look for more examples of working together --- in order to expand our optimism about the world’s future direction and our involvement in it.
See Self-interest and Other-Interest as Reciprocal.
Reciprocal self-interest and other interest is sometimes called “enlightened self-interest” If everything is connected, as the new sciences tell us, then every nation, organization, group and even every individual is connected, even democrats and republicans, rich people and poor people, you and me, etc. If we can see everything as connected, yet see ourselves as ignorant of most of the connections, then we are more likely to be tolerant toward ourselves and others, and more compassionate, cooperative and collaborative. We would want to collaborate rather than compete. We would…
• See more interconnectedness
No nation, organization or person is an island. Therefore working together is better than working in isolation for nations, organizations, and individuals, even for political parties.
Try to think of examples where your organization or group was or will be better working together with others. Or find a personal example when collaboration with someone else (two heads instead of one) was or will be helpful. What examples of political parties or nations working together come to mind?
• Get a second and third opinion
It seems obvious that no one of us is as smart as all of us. If you can’t get everyone’s opinion, get some that are different than yours. Since it is easier to give advice than take advice, we usually don’t have much practice getting advice, let alone taking it.
Think of examples when someone’s advice was very helpful to you or to others when making important decisions. Getting and using advice is even harder for most groups, organizations or political parties because of their dominance of self-interests. What examples of enlighten self-interest come to mind?
• Imagine long-term consequences
Interconnectedness means that the future is connected to the present and the past. What happened yesterday influences today and what happens today influences tomorrow and future tomorrows. The problem with what we do today is that we will never experience some of it’s consequences in the future. And we will never even know the consequential experiences of others.
Try to visualize or imagine the possible consequences of your actions in the present. This again is where collaboration with others, getting different opinions, is helpful. You can’t see the future but you can imagine it. Be careful of the tendency to see what you want to see and not see what you don’t want to see.
What Do You Think?
I would like to hear if tis perspective seems useful to you in any way and/or if you have your own perspective that you use about collaboration. I am looking for other examples of frames, decision rules or standard operating procedures that people employ.
