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Want Cooperation? Befriend Your Vulnerabilities

So far, none of my coaching clients have ever told me they don’t believe in cooperation. In fact, they believe collaborating with a colleague or working with another team is the right thing to do. No doubt, this is what most would say when asked. So why is true cooperation so hard to do? Here’s my hypothesis. Cooperation is a great idea but real life cooperation requires us to face our vulnerabilities and fears because the only way to collaborate with another person is to recognize we are better with someone else, which means we are not enough or we are not perfect. And who likes to admit that?

Entrepreneur: "Cutthroat vs. Cooperative: How Do You View Competition"

“It’s fair to say that one’s approach to running a business is likely driven by one’s understanding of nature of competition.” Different case studies are viewing what it means to be competitive such as, “focus on Improving their own business” or entrepreneurs viewing fellow peers as “colleagues”. The article also focuses on looking at your business though you were “playing emperor”.

McKinsey Quarterly: "Givers take all: The hidden dimension of corporate culture"

What it means to be “an effective unit” is scrutinized more closely in this article. “The single strongest predictor of group effectiveness was the amount of help that analysts gave to each other. In the highest-performing teams, analysts invested extensive time and energy in coaching, teaching, and consulting with their colleagues.” Fascinating insights on how helping behaviors can be demonstrated through “seeking help”, “reciprocity rings”(which first ask for personal requests and then professional requests) and allowing employees to request something personal they want in their lives and having it granted. Also, the different traits of a “giver culture”, “taker culture” and “match culture is explored.

Fast Company: "Why Do We Cooperate? Some Evolutionary Thoughts About What Motivates US?"

“In this age of downsizing, outsourcing, and virtual organizations, managers are desperate to optimize the human resources at their disposal, regardless of where they reside. Figuring out what motivates people to cooperate (i.e. collaborate) with peers is a difficult challenge.” This article reveals the findings of two articles that provides background to promoting collaboration. Some of the seven findings that encourage human cooperation are to “reward-but not necessarily with money…find elements that are valued by team members”and “frame the business appropriately” which makes context a motivating factor.

ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) WEBCAST

“Leveraging the Best In Culturally Diverse Professionals Understanding key factors that truly catalyze engagement and performance in the 21st century professional” Webcast http://webcasts.astd.org/webinar/647     4/23/13 1-2PM Your workforce is becoming more diverse, whether your company is US-focused or globally-focused.  As your professionals expand in culture, race, ethnicity or gender, it’s critically important to know how their motivations, …

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