Turning Competition into Co-operation

There’s a lot of talk about COLLABORATION but what stops us, what gets in the way?

After some personal reflection, for me, it’s probably my competitive nature!

So here’s my top 3 tips for changing a mindset and turning COMPETITION into CO-OPERATION

Tip No. 1 – BUILD TRUST AND OPENNESS

Firstly learn to trust yourself, know what you stand for and then cultivate genuine connections with those who have aligned values, visions or passions; and when you do connect, take the time to create and commit to a collective vision. This provides brightness of the future and actually supports you to remain open and flexible to others input and ideas; making it a lot easier to co-operate and co-create the unexpected.

Tip No. 2 – DEMONSTRATE ADMIRATION TOWARDS OTHERS

It’s impossible to know or be everything; and it’s really important to remember we wouldn’t be who we are without the people that surround us. Remember the story, The Wizard of Oz? The lesson here is to know and master your capability, talent or skill and at the same time admire the diversity that others offer. We each bring a unique perspective that adds value; and together you will have everything you need.

Frequent interaction and admiration towards others is uplifting and motivating and it’s a must when co-operating, especially to keep our egos in check!

Tip No. 3 – BE INNOVATIVE

Rather than thinking about the resources you have, consider the resources you can access, together. Allow yourself to think outside the box; be provokable and ask the impossible questions that propels you into problem solving and kick starts and turbo charges your creativity. Rather than saying ‘I can’t’, start the sentence with ‘what if we can’…

So when you’re building trust and openness, demonstrating admiration towards others and being innovative; co-operation happens, synergy occurs and the magic of collaboration transforms us. What you come away with is something far greater than what one person could have achieved on their own; and that’s worth collaborating for!