What stops someone from collaborating with someone else these days?
Is it physical barriers like locked doors and barred windows, disconnected phone lines or lost internet connections?
Or is it most often a barrier lurking between your ears?
You didn’t call the other person before you sent them a tasking because you say, “That’s not how it is done.”
Your boss didn’t introduce you to the person who could have helped your project weeks ago because he says, “You didn’t ask.”
Your team lost months repeating the mistakes the last team made because according to that last team’s leader, “When I called to offer help you didn’t return my calls.”
We talk ourselves into believing we’re cut off from others by forces outside our control. We’re not.
We’re cut off from others because we choose to be. We can choose to be connected instead.
Drag down the barriers to collaboration.
Set yourself free.
It’s as easy as changing your mind.
—————————-
p.s. Tomorrow we rap up another strong Guiding Coalition year. The 2012 Guiding Coalition has my unending thanks for taking a fantastic network model that truly drags down (and even eliminates) barriers to collaboration and turning it into win after win after win. Great job everyone. You should be proud of all you’ve accomplished. I’m honored to work with you and call you friends.
