One of the most common things we hear when talking about collaboration is the interchangeable use of the terms “collaboration” and “cooperation.” These two concepts are closely related and often hard to distinguish, leading many people to use them synonymously. It’s quite common for people to talk about collaboration when, in fact, they’re really thinking about cooperation. For instance, when managers ask how they can make their teams more collaborative, what they often mean is how to make them more cooperative. I’ve had situations where a manager would call me, asking for help in making their teams more collaborative. But what they’re really seeking is to make their teams more cooperative.

This distinction matters because the meaning behind each word is significant. A good starting point is Richard Feynman’s now often-quoted—or perhaps paraphrased—insight. He spoke about how knowing the name of a bird in different languages doesn’t actually tell you much about the bird itself. You might learn more about the people in different countries and what they call the bird, but you won’t necessarily know more about the bird. His point was that simply knowing the name of something doesn’t increase your knowledge of the subject itself.

The same can be applied to collaboration. Many people are familiar with the term “collaboration,” but they don’t truly invest the time and energy needed to understand what it really entails. Today, collaboration is discussed in many contexts, not just work. But in the workplace, collaboration is now studied extensively because it directly impacts a company’s performance, sustainability, competitiveness, resilience, and innovation. As a strategist and practitioner of collaboration, my focus is on developing strategies that help businesses—whether government or private enterprise—become truly collaborative, rather than just ensuring that people are merely cooperating with their tasks.

To understand the difference between cooperation and collaboration, I often help people discern the subtle distinctions between the two. While the concepts are not simple, I want to highlight a couple of key points. First, it’s important to understand that there is an element of cooperation in collaboration and vice versa. These concepts are not mutually exclusive, and there are no clear-cut boundaries. The core of cooperation is different from the core of collaboration, but the boundaries between the two are often blurred.

One way to cut through the noise is to start by examining the structure underlying cooperation and collaboration. Both have structural differences. In a cooperative structure, team members—whether within the same organisation or across multiple enterprises—are solely responsible for certain duties and outcomes. They are accountable for specific areas and are expected to perform these tasks with exclusive focus, ensuring that nothing interferes with their responsibilities.

In contrast, a collaborative structure is more expansive. While individuals or parties still have key accountabilities, they are not solely responsible for their part. They must understand that their work is part of a larger system. This leads to a second key difference: the critical mindset that underpins each concept.

In cooperation, the critical mindset is that each person is responsible for their work, and they believe that if they do their job well, and others do theirs, the sum of the parts will work out fine. This mindset can be sufficient in well-organised settings and for certain types of work. However, when it comes to creating new ideas, solving problems, innovating, or adding value, this attitude can be counterproductive.

In a collaborative mindset, the difference is in the belief that while you must do your best, you also need to extend your capabilities to others. You should be willing to contribute beyond your immediate responsibilities, not just by responding to requests for help but also by proactively offering assistance or ideas that might benefit others, even if they haven’t asked for it.

To sum up, someone with a cooperative mindset might say they’re cutting stones, while someone with a collaborative mindset would say that while they are cutting stones, they’re actually building a cathedral. That is the fundamental difference between the two.

Understanding this distinction is crucial for managers and senior leaders to determine when to deploy cooperation versus collaboration—and not to confuse the two.