"Collaboration", for me means a lot. Some insights have dawned on me last year and it is one of the basics, I should have mastered earlier in my career for achieving greater hieghts.
In the corporate life, we are repeatedly insisted on collobaration and how it will increase the effectiveness of individuals, teams, groups and eventually an organization. Multitudes of collaboration tools including, net meetings, chats, e-mails etc., are all ubiquitous at any workplace. This is to enable individuals to collaborate and share more and more.....
It sounds commonsensical that we collaborate. But, is it easy for people to collobarate at an indivual level? Does it come naturally to us to collaborate and share? On a little comtemplation, it occured to me, that it is easier to claim we collaborate than really do. The next question is why then, is it so difficult for many people to share knowledge and collaborate?
All through our childhood, we are asked and encouraged to excel individually ( more so in western countries than in east). In this tough competitive environment, we trained all our lives to compete individually. We are taught to be "Independent". We celebrate "success" for individual accomplishments. We get jobs based on our individual exploits and talents. Hence, the brain is hardwired to excel individually.
Given the pervasiveness of this thought process and the 'cultural' underpinnings, can we expect people to take a "u-turn" and start becoming a "team player" and "collaborate" just soon after they start being in teams? Can all people become Individual Contributors?
It is beyond any doubt, that global economy works on the principles of "synergies" and "free trade" which are intrinsically based on "collaboration". Thus, in working life, the skills of teamwork and collaboration needs to be relearnt. Whoever accepts that collaboration is the only way to succeed, will relearn this critical skill and have a successful career.
In the next blog I will explore a "self" thinking process to help individuals becoming more "team" oriented.
So long .......
In the corporate life, we are repeatedly insisted on collobaration and how it will increase the effectiveness of individuals, teams, groups and eventually an organization. Multitudes of collaboration tools including, net meetings, chats, e-mails etc., are all ubiquitous at any workplace. This is to enable individuals to collaborate and share more and more.....
It sounds commonsensical that we collaborate. But, is it easy for people to collobarate at an indivual level? Does it come naturally to us to collaborate and share? On a little comtemplation, it occured to me, that it is easier to claim we collaborate than really do. The next question is why then, is it so difficult for many people to share knowledge and collaborate?
All through our childhood, we are asked and encouraged to excel individually ( more so in western countries than in east). In this tough competitive environment, we trained all our lives to compete individually. We are taught to be "Independent". We celebrate "success" for individual accomplishments. We get jobs based on our individual exploits and talents. Hence, the brain is hardwired to excel individually.
Given the pervasiveness of this thought process and the 'cultural' underpinnings, can we expect people to take a "u-turn" and start becoming a "team player" and "collaborate" just soon after they start being in teams? Can all people become Individual Contributors?
It is beyond any doubt, that global economy works on the principles of "synergies" and "free trade" which are intrinsically based on "collaboration". Thus, in working life, the skills of teamwork and collaboration needs to be relearnt. Whoever accepts that collaboration is the only way to succeed, will relearn this critical skill and have a successful career.
In the next blog I will explore a "self" thinking process to help individuals becoming more "team" oriented.
So long .......
