The American Heritage Dictionary (2006) defines “collaboration” as “to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort.” Also known as brainstorming, collaboration stems from the ancient Greek practice of group dialogue, an art which follows certain rules. Socrates established three principles of discussion (or “Koinonia” meaning “spirit of fellowship”) in group dialogue: (1) Establish dialogue (don’t argue or interrupt and listen carefully), (2) Clarify thinking (suspend all untested assumptions), and (3) be honest (even if your ideas are controversial – or downright wacky).

Michael Michalco, author of “How to Encourage Collaboration on Your Team” (HOWDesign.com, January, 2008), makes an unbeatable case for collaboration, pointing out that it has produced great achievements in physics, film-making and art. On the other hand, lack of collaboration has produced stifled ideas, fear, mistrust, failure and “nothing of significance.” The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Why would we not collaborate?

Maybe, in our ignorance, we just don’t understand the benefits. Instead we work our individual talents to the limit, perhaps going far and thinking that to be enough. It may be enough, but it’s not our very best. Our very best seems to come only from a collaborative effort.

Is ego to blame? We want our freedom and we want to be as good as everyone else. We seek glory, wanting to shine as individuals and be admired for our talents. We want our contributions to be recognized and remembered as ours and ours alone. But do we lose these things by encouraging collaboration?

We do not lose freedom or equality in collaboration. Collaboration is hampered by inequality, causing those who feel inferior to hold back while encouraging those who feel superior to dominate. Because collaboration promotes thinking “outside the box” and requires complete honesty, it can generate controversial, even threatening ideas. To keep the dialogue flowing, judgment (and the fear of it) must be suspended.

Encouraging collaboration can multiply individual glory, admiration and achievement exponentially; Michelangelo, Walt Disney and Einstein were all collaborators. We do not lose individuality or recognition for our talents by collaborating; instead we share. Collaboration requires participants to be true to themselves, express their own ideas and share their unique perspectives.

Consider competition, which is thought to stimulate excellence. Imagine a pie-baking contest, the goal of which is to produce the best possible pies Three master pie-bakers compete. Baker one produces an excellent meringue fruit pie with the very best crust. Baker two produces a fine lemon pie with the very best meringue. Baker three creates a meringue creme pie with the very best filling. The judges love meringue so baker two wins. But is his pie really the best? What if the bakers collaborate? The result would be three different pies, EACH having the finest crust, best meringue and tastiest filling – the best possible pies. Competition might produce three good pies but encouraging collaboration would produce three of the very finest.

Encouraging collaboration can only produce better results. Many creative people claim their ideas do not originate within themselves but come from “the cosmos” and seek expression through them. Perhaps this is an example of collaboration with God. viagra and alcol