The art of collaboration

It can be hard to collaborate with others if you’ve ever experienced excessive criticism or abuse. It can feel like you need to run or attack. Both of these fight or flight options block your chance to create.

Why Is It So Hard to Collaborate?

It can be hard to collaborate with others if you’ve ever experienced excessive criticism or abuse. It can feel like you need to run or attack. Both of these fight or flight options block your chance to create. Most of all, you’ll miss out on one of life’s greatest opportunities, that is working together as one. (The Fourth Revolution written by Klaus Schwab who also Founded The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland cites cooperation as critical to our future in working across boundaries.)

Even if you haven’t encountered excessive trauma, it doesn’t mean that you’re a good collaborator. Funny thing is, almost everyone thinks of him or herself as a great partner. In some areas this may be true, and in other cases it may not be. Collaboration isn’t just about your individual duties and responsibilities in participation; it’s about your energy.

Energy is the keystone in our working together. I can work with you, and perhaps you can work with me, but the individual energy that we bring to our mutual collaboration is vital. Again, if you’ve ever experienced a heavy, toxic or dishonest collaboration you may be carrying a disharmonious energy. The very energy you don’t want to give off.

If you’ve ever worked in creative collaboration, you know the importance of feeling safe. There’s a difference in being told that it’s safe versus knowing it’s not. If your environment is in fact safe, then you know it’s you who is carrying the energies of insecurity and fear. Understanding this is important.

To work in collaboration you have to feel secure. This has to come from you. A safe environment will not be enough for you to overcome your own feelings of uncertainty in working collectively. Think about your value.

Once upon a time, you knew your true value. It isn’t gone. It may be hidden, or temporarily removed from sight, but it’s there. It’s time to reclaim your value.

As an example, if a person doesn’t value who they are, in time, they can become destitute or homeless. This state of separation is extreme but it is rampant in every corner of the world. While humanity can be a safe place to collaborate, people of this nature usually believe that they’re not of value. Doubting your value in collaboration is indeed a weight to the team.

Collaboration is knowing your strengths and weakness –and valuing it all. Then, stepping up to say, “Here I am. How can I help?” It’s like a group of backup singers who combine their voices with the lead vocal to create a new beautiful blended sound. Each individual recognizes his or her own abilities and contribution.

This isn’t missed. Everyone on the team values and appreciates their fellow teammates desire to collaborate. Mindfully, you know and channel your collaborative energy from Source to become one. Oftentimes, we use the word family to describe this kind of connection.

Imagine participating on a surgical team. Every contributing member is valued in the group. There are doctors, nurses and people in admissions and administration who are there to harmonize as one. Every contributor is a part of the operation.

Witnessing a team that has this kind of singular energy and connection may draw you to your feet in adoration. Collaboration, of this nature, isn’t being in the spotlight or avoiding it. It’s actually quite humbling to be a part of something so great. There’s freedom in being able to express so totally and fully.

Joining energy in collaboration is a worthy experience, even if you only do it once. It surpasses anything that you could or would want to do alone. There are reasons that nature continues to demonstrate this collaborative energy. Everything is connected.

Realizing your value in your connection with one another is priceless. If there were ever a time to get in touch with one another in collaboration it’s now. Just consider what our working together can conceive. In bringing your valued energy and talents there’s nothing that we can’t create.