It’s almost that time of year. Close your eyes and imagine the aroma of turkey roasting in the oven; the warm smell of bread in the breadmaker; and that apple pie candle burning, setting the tone for the day. Mmm. Makes your mouth water doesn’t it? Thanksgiving is a day when family gets together. It’s a day of chaos, but one I wouldn’t give up for anything. Pulling it together isn’t something I do alone. We get the work done together!
This post is about collaboration: “working with someone… others… to produce or create something.” In this case, not just a Thanksgiving dinner, but a lasting family memory. I couldn’t do it without a little help and collaboration from others.
Collaborating adds a lot of benefits to the outcome of any project. When you include others in your project, you build a sense of inclusion and eagerness to deliver on the end result. You share a common goal and others are more eager to help when you place value on their contributions.
You’re also gaining from shared experiences. Imagine if you’re communicating a change to a number of people across the country. We all know that one size doesn’t always fit all. Working with individuals from different parts of the organization, or different regions, will help you identify the unique needs of different audience members. How great is that?
When you work together, share ideas and leverage the skills of the people around you, the outcome is much more effective. For a perfect family gathering, I reached out for help. One person to make a salad and a vegetable side dish, another to look after the perfect dessert, and the most important job of all — keeping four small children entertained while dinner was being prepared.
When people collaborate and work together, stuff happens. It’s a lot more efficient than trying to do the job on your own. And, the end result is a lot more gratifying. Having a leader to oversee the work helps ensure that all the moving parts come together and are recognized. I looked after making the turkey and making sure all the contributions came together. 🙂
There’s no win in succeeding on your own like there is when you work together.
Writing for you. 