I recognise that many comments have been aired about the 'VUCA/BANI' world we live in; whilst these terms are not new, many suggest that fragility, brittleness, uncertainty and ambiguity are a constant in both our personal and business lives, particularly over the past four-five years. That said, I do wonder whether the current climate (excuse the obvious pun) is hotting up even more: poor mental health is on the rise and along with it comes a range of societal problems that negatively impact business health. And due to multimedia channels relentlessly pumping out information/disinformation about global catastrophes, our psyches are being bombarded with negativity.

So how does the idea of collaboration fit into this assumed deepening crisis? Simply put: we need each other, now more than ever. I think we know this; I believe that, deep down, all of us appreciate the difference between a 'connected' life and a life that feels isolated. I'm sure that all of us would vote for the former over the latter. I also believe the same paradigm is true for businesses - hence the notion of collaboration, the topic of this blog. Businesses need each other, now more than ever.
"Businesses need each other, now more than ever."
Two questions arise: What are the possible interpretations and applications of collaboration in this context? What are the implications for leadership if businesses were to more enthusiastically embrace the idea of collaboration?
Arguably, the most obvious answer to the first question lies in the domain of business synergies: shared processes, resources, objectives - even customers. In this space, opportunities can arise for pooling knowledge, skills and resources to increase efficiencies, mitigate risk across a larger group of companies and ease the burdens associated with business development, customer relations and many other operational necessities. It is actually quite rare (in my experience) to find companies that have ALL that they need within their workforce: just as Belbin many years ago concluded that optimal teams need a mix of people to succeed, so businesses also need to consider how joining forces with other business cultures, tapping into the talents of their employees and sharing their operational resources might complement their own and lead to growth for all.
But what of competition? Competition and the fight for market share may still be a credible attitude to adopt; businesses thrive and grow through competition, right? But what if they could thrive and grow more through collaboration?
And there's another question that arises: Why is a business in business? In other words, for what purpose is the business trading? If it's all about self-interest and growing wealth for the few (the Directors at the top or the shareholders, for example), then the idea of collaboration takes on a particular hue: how can we mine each other's business to gain for ourselves?
We seem to have reached a critical moment in the evolution of our planet. The systems that place 99% of the world's wealth in the pockets of 1% of the population are not only morally wrong, they are unsustainable. There is increasing evidence that business growth must mean growth for all in business. (An interesting HBR article here)

I believe that we now need to reimagine what it means to collaborate. In the world of commerce and business, this will mean a potentially radical shift in our perceptions and understanding of 'great leadership'. Where to start? The answer is equally radical in its simplicity: leaders now need to have the courage (among many other qualities) to refocus their lens away from self-interest and towards benefiting others. Engendering this refocus onto 'other' is not easy, particularly when the traditional struggle for 'success' has always been founded on our own agendas. Now is the time for every business to actively reach out to current and past competitors and ask: How can we help you?
"There is increasing evidence that business growth must mean growth for all in business"
The good news (and a reassuring convincer) is readily available in personal life: just how good do you feel when you help another? How much growth do you experience when your compassion activates a loving gesture towards someone in need? Perhaps we should more vigorously encourage this in business life as much as outside the office? In the process, we may just create a groundswell of opposition to greed, fear and individualism.
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