Collaboration – what does it really mean?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, collaboration is;

·      the action of working with someone to produce something or
·      a traitorous cooperation with an enemy.

I’m not sure that either of these are particularly helpful in a business context and they certainly don’t seem to correlate with the way the word is used on many social media platforms and at networking meetings I attend.

Everyday my LinkedIn inbox and emails are full of people who claim to be really interested in what I do and wanting to collaborate.

GREAT! that’s something that as a solo entrepreneur is really important. One person can’t possibly carry out every activity which is required to run a successful business. Collaboration is the best way to get into flow and ensure that everyone is working to their strengths.

However, virtually every time I receive a message suggesting collaboration, it’s quickly very clear that what they really mean is, BUY MY STUFF! What they’re offering is a transactional relationship, not a collaboration.

So, I come back to my question, “Collaboration, what does it really mean?”

I’m a passionate scuba diver and lover of the underwater world. I’m constantly amazed by the resilience and adaptability of the natural world, so I wondered if there were any examples of collaboration which may inspire me.

The Portuguese man o’ war, also known as the man-of-war, bluebottle, or floating terror is an interesting example.

It’s often referred to as a jellyfish. However, it’s not actually a jellyfish, it’s not even an “it,” but a “they.”
 
The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together.

Different clones do different jobs, but all are connected to a central circulatory system so all can be nourished by the colony.

In isolation they would not survive, collectively they really are a force of nature not to be messed with!

Many collaborations fail as they lack structure and a mindful approach, without clarity on all sides as to what is being offered and expected in return. 

I use a tool called Wealth Dynamics which was created as a personal and business development tool for entrepreneurs.

Based on the Chinese book of change, The I Ching, it allows us to consider our unique blend of energy or frequencies.

The reason I’m introducing this tool here is that it can help us to identify which energies and talents are complimentary to ours and can therefore allow us to form considered and effective collaborations.

We are all born with natural talents, but we spend much of our life focusing on what we aren’t great at, getting frustrated and feeling bad that we can’t do something and forgetting about the things we take for granted, our natural talents.

Everything is energy, everything vibrates at a different frequency, and this influences its’ key characteristics.  Our skills, talents, preferences in communication, thinking and acting are all influenced by our unique mix of energies, which, in the Wealth Dynamics model, are referred to as Dynamo, Blaze, Tempo and Steel.

Each of us has a primary profile based on our balance of frequencies, one which creates the greatest resonance and harmony, when we are working in our primary profile, we experience more flow and tend to be more productive and add more value to our business.  

We also have two secondary profiles which we can stretch into, challenging and expanding our skill set. 

We are all a mix of Dynamo, Blaze, Tempo and Steel energy which make up the 8 individual profiles shown below in the Wealth Dynamics Square.   Someone with the same profile will still be different to one other as it is the unique mix and our life experience which creates individuality.

Understanding where we add the most value is important to our business and it’s also crucial for understanding where we need additional support and collaboration.  The more time we spend in our primary profile, the more time we are in flow and collaboration is a fantastic way to stay in our zone of genius.

If for example you are a Star Profile, your ideal team of collaborators would comprise Deal Maker and Lord Profiles:

1- Star Primary Profile has the secondary profiles, Supporter and Creator.

2- Deal Maker Primary Profile has the secondary profiles, Supporter and Trader

3 – Lord Primary Profile can stretch into secondary profiles, Accumulator and Mechanic.

Using this 1,2,3 approach ensures that all the profiles are covered, and each individual can focus on the tasks and activities that they are most suited to.

Recently, I’ve been collaborating with a colleague and friend with high Dynamo energy.

A fellow coach and trainer she’s full of new ideas, highly creative and unsurprisingly uses creative problem-solving methods in her client sessions.

I’m a Lord Profile and have complimentary energies of Tempo and Steel, great at implementing processes, workshops and attending to the detail.  We both have high Blaze energy so make a fantastic collaborative partnership, with all the bases covered.

Many of us struggle to articulate what makes us different, what is our unique essence so Anat and I wanted to explore if bringing together a process which I had been using for some time with my clients could be enhanced with a creative and interactive tool. 

I brought the process and workshop flow, Anat brought her experience and talent for using a technique called Lego®SeriousPlay® which uses playfulness to unlock creativity.  When at play, the brain doesn’t perceive the normal danger signs, filters and concerns which inhibit creativity, instead it allows our own original thoughts to come through.

Not only was it great fun to work with Anat, but the collaboration also resulted in an enhanced offering for our attendees.  Using our combined experience allowed them to articulate with clarity and confidence their ideal clients, the transformations they facilitate and the essence which flows through all their activities and makes them unique.

If you are struggling with a block or obstacle in your business rather than try to work it out alone, a change of perspective can make a real difference.

Think about who is in your network, who are your connections? Where are the opportunities for collaboration?

Even if they have a similar business to you, we are all unique so there will also be elements of difference and areas of synergy.

Rather than consider them as competition, maybe collaboration could be the key to getting you both in flow and both achieving your business and personal objectives.