Basic Beliefs & Assumptions About Collaboration

COLLABORATION IS NOT NEW

• People have been collaborating for a long time, probably since the beginning of time.

COLLABORATION COMES MORE EASILY TO SOME PEOPLE THAN TO OTHERS.

• We learn to collaborate from our environments and experiences.
• We are taught both instrinsically and extrinsically.
• Some personality types and cultures or sectors are more prone to collaborate.

COLLABORATING PLACES THE RELATIONSHIP AS HIGH AS OR HIGHER THAN THE GOALS BEING PURSUED.

• One should only get into a collaboration if the relationship is seen as important.
• One should be careful not to sacrifice a relationship in pursuit of the goals.

COLLABORATION IS ART- INTUITIVE, DYNAMIC, CREATIVE AND GENERATIVE.

• Like with any art or craft or discipline, one can only get better at collaboration with practice.
• One can gain wisdom and knowledge from collaboration experiences by reflection and evalution, an openness to receiving feedback and to continuously learning.

COLLABORATION IS A SCIENCE – LOGICAL, PLANNED, AND METHODICAL.

• Relational skills and aptitudes are not all that is required for successful collaboration.
• One must take a balanced and wholistic approach; at the same time as managing the relationship and the emotional and psychological needs, one also needs to employ reason, logic and strong planning and problem-solving skills to ensure the success of the project.