We live in an age of complexity where data alone can’t guide us. Meaning-making and the courage to trust intuition becomes essential. Courage is not only summoned; it can be created by daring to see differently. Without it, we remain bewildered. With it, even the most tangled situations can yield clarity and purpose.
We tend to think a thank you is always harmless. In teams, it might be the quietest killer of collaboration.
Why? Because in flat, peer-led projects, the person who says “Thanks everyone, great job” often does more than express gratitude — they assume the role of evaluator. Recognition flows down, not across. Without meaning to, they create hierarchy where none was intended.
Collaboration depends on fairness, psychological safety, and shared ownership. A misplaced thank you can erode all three.
Gratitude isn’t the problem, but the way we structure it is. In my latest Roadmender blog, I explore how recognition can either strengthen or sabotage collaboration, and what simple governance tools can fix it.
This blog introduces the Open Shift Protocol—a simple yet profound method for enhancing collaborative thinking and decision-making. By encouraging individuals and teams to iteratively adopt and emotionally inhabit opposing perspectives, the method loosens rigid thought patterns and fosters deeper, more creative insight. Drawing on principles from emotional intelligence, dialectical reasoning, and creativity research, it offers a unique and structured approach to co-creation that transcends conventional brainstorming or debate, making space for innovation to emerge from complexity and discomfort.
Strategy doesn’t begin with answers. It begins with orientation and orientation begins with perception. The Groundwork Model invites us to slow down and prepare the ground before acting, so that strategy becomes an emergent response to complexity not a reflex to anxiety. It’s about creating the conditions for clarity, not forcing clarity too soon.
The choice of dialogue is also a matter of strategy. In business that choice can add competitive advantage to enterprises willing to collaborate.
By creating space for reflective thinking, teams can sidestep the simplicity trap and engage with the strategic planning process at a level that leads to truly impactful outcomes.
When discussing collaboration, it’s crucial to differentiate it from cooperation. While often used interchangeably, their distinctions are significant. Cooperation involves individual responsibilities, while collaboration entails a broader, interconnected approach. The mindset also differs, with cooperation focusing on individual tasks and collaboration emphasizing collective contribution and innovation, essential for workplace success and effective leadership.
“We know that workplace productivity is linked not only to person’s skills but also to their sense of identity and esteem.” – Jelenko Dragisic, Author of ‘The Collaboration Instinct‘ Small selection of collaboration insights to help managers improve their team performance with simple culture shift towards real collaboration.
Urban agriculture as one of the oldest activities in human history, has experienced a renaissance in the past two decades. Predictions made only a decade ago that UA will become a global reality as much as global necessity have proved to be accurate. Those predictions are reflected in […]
On the surface everyone is a collaborator, and every team is a collaborating team. That is the ‘sell’ in contemporary workplaces. Businesses invest in collaboration as a part of their business strategy for a variety of reasons; improving organisational culture, trust, productivity, competitiveness or even, more imaginatively, to […]
While collaboration has often been praised and promoted as a cure all, endorsing it in this way borders on irresponsible. In business there are no easy, fail-safe ways of finding good business solutions to complex problems, designing winning strategies or delivering results that meet everyone’s expectations. The appeal […]
It’s time to wrest the subtle art of collaboration from the jaws of everyday spin. The famous co-founder of once widely popular start-up WeWork claimed that the majority (70%) of those who paid to use the WeWork shared space collaborated. This always seemed like a possibility given that […]
We’re nearly at the 2-year mark since COVID 19 disrupted our universe. Businesses have learnt many lessons, and many have embraced new strategies such as collaboration, even with competitors. In fact, competitors tend to embrace collaboration with each other more often than is recognised. This is not surprising […]
A recent global collaboration study of 476 organisations found that nearly 70% have used collaboration apps. Reliance on collaboration tools continues to increase as more companies use apps to support their business. With that shift in workplace practice, or rather, scaling up of an existing practice, comes an […]
One can never have too much of a good thing. And knowing a good thing when you see it is a good thing in itself. Collaboration with a strategic purpose is a good thing for the willing and those paying attention to the simple fact that businesses are […]
Collaboration in the entertainment industry is hot right now. Essentially, all pop music stars maintain their relevance by collaborating at one point or another with other musicians. It is not only pop stars that collaborate. The fashion industry, sport, gaming and others all embrace collaboration. It has become […]
Let’s be clear; collaboration is not the answer to every business challenge. But ignoring its potential is quite likely to make every aspect of your business more complicated and costlier. With that in mind I recommend that in the current oscillating climate of business confidence uncertainty and disruption, […]
Theoretically, the longest chess game possible involves 5,949 moves. That implies a lot of combinations. But I wonder how many combinations are possible in business collaboration. In my experience I think collaboration would give chess a run for its money. We should not be surprised at that possibility […]
Let’s face it; we all hate making mistakes. As a matter of fact, we probably fear mistakes a little too much. Collaboration is a near perfect area where mistakes are possible because so much of its process depends on making decisions about the unknown. There is no simple […]
Writing about collaboration is always exciting. The ever expanding topic is full of angles to which I can dedicate time and energy. Inspiration comes from constant observation and study of the environment in which I find myself. This time I was inspired by an inflight magazine of Air […]
I am regularly asked whether I think that a new business undertaking, be it a start-up, a social enterprise or a traditional business venture, has a better chance of succeeding with collaboration as part of its strategy. I am inclined to say “Yes”, but with one major qualification; […]
Humans are wired for the appreciation of beauty, harmony, pleasant patterns. Work can be beautiful. The entire experience can be pleasant in a similar way that we experience listening to good music, appreciate a sculpture or admire a well designed chair. It is not a standard thing for […]
Over several decades, disaster management has matured into a profession that at once borrows from a range of disciplines, offers its own unique dimension and lends new insights to other disciplines. This dynamic has become a mainstay of the policy and practice of disaster management as it is […]
.ROADMENDER 