Brian's Lines
Linus is watching television, minding his own business, when Lucy storms into the room and demands that Linus change to another channel. Linus protests, "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" Lucy responds, "These five fingers. Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." Linus says with a note of resignation, "Which channel do you want?" Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"
Linus learned an important lesson in life that day. He learned the importance of working together. We have a word for working together. It is the word "collaboration.”
Collaboration is an idea whose time has come. In a nation with a history of fierce independence, the idea of interdependence has sometimes not been well received. Self-made leaders in our past history gave way to the self-centered individuals of the 70's and 80's. However, as we moved toward the end of the twentieth century we rediscovered the value of collaboration. That rediscovery has led futurist Joel Arthur Barker, who popularized the term "paradigm," to predict that "This team approach will be the hallmark of the great companies of the twenty-first century."
Author Stephen R. Covey, in his book First Things First, made a similar point when he described the move from the independent paradigm to the interdependent paradigm. He concluded: “It [that is, the interdependent paradigm] takes into consideration the full reality of the uniqueness and capacity of each individual and the rich, serendipitous potential of creating synergistic third alternatives that are far better than individuals could ever come up with on their own.”
Both Barker and Covey agree: collaboration is an idea whose time has come. Why is collaboration important?
First of all, collaboration makes our understanding clearer. Because our discernment is always – not sometimes but always – partial and limited, we need to be a part of communities where we can share our discernment with each other. When we stand together with others instead of alone, we gain a broader perspective on life, and that makes our understanding clearer.
Second, collaboration makes our work easier. If we can stay focused on what is right instead of who is right, on where we're going rather than who is leading, on how we can help each other instead of how we can beat each other – that is, if we learn to collaborate with each other – then our work will be easier.
Collaboration also makes our impact greater. Life is filled with examples. Soldiers together make an army. Trees together make a forest. Shingles together make a roof. Bricks together make a wall. Drops of water together make a river. Snowflakes together make an avalanche. Links together make a chain. And people working together make a team. We will inevitably be able to accomplish things together that we could not accomplish alone.
With a clearer understanding, more efficiency in our efforts, and greater results from our activities, we will be on our way to excellence.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
[Ecclesiastes 4:9-10]
"Playing for yourself wins trophies; playing for your team wins championships."
[Tommy Lasorda, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, quoted in Glen Martin and Gary McIntosh, The Issachar Factor. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1993, p. 81]
“Just as quality and excellence were on every corporate tongue in the 1980s, teamwork, service, and partners in progress have become the 1990s theme.” (And I might add, the 2000s theme as well.)
[James B. Miller, The Corporate Coach. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993, p. 7]
“The mystique that Shackleton acquired as a leader may partly be attributed to the fact that he elicited from his men strength and endurance they had never imagined they possessed; he ennobled them.”
Statement made about explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, quoted in Leonard Sweet, Aqua Church. Loveland, CO: Group, 1999, p. 187]
Linus learned an important lesson in life that day. He learned the importance of working together. We have a word for working together. It is the word "collaboration.”
Collaboration is an idea whose time has come. In a nation with a history of fierce independence, the idea of interdependence has sometimes not been well received. Self-made leaders in our past history gave way to the self-centered individuals of the 70's and 80's. However, as we moved toward the end of the twentieth century we rediscovered the value of collaboration. That rediscovery has led futurist Joel Arthur Barker, who popularized the term "paradigm," to predict that "This team approach will be the hallmark of the great companies of the twenty-first century."
Author Stephen R. Covey, in his book First Things First, made a similar point when he described the move from the independent paradigm to the interdependent paradigm. He concluded: “It [that is, the interdependent paradigm] takes into consideration the full reality of the uniqueness and capacity of each individual and the rich, serendipitous potential of creating synergistic third alternatives that are far better than individuals could ever come up with on their own.”
Both Barker and Covey agree: collaboration is an idea whose time has come. Why is collaboration important?
First of all, collaboration makes our understanding clearer. Because our discernment is always – not sometimes but always – partial and limited, we need to be a part of communities where we can share our discernment with each other. When we stand together with others instead of alone, we gain a broader perspective on life, and that makes our understanding clearer.
Second, collaboration makes our work easier. If we can stay focused on what is right instead of who is right, on where we're going rather than who is leading, on how we can help each other instead of how we can beat each other – that is, if we learn to collaborate with each other – then our work will be easier.
Collaboration also makes our impact greater. Life is filled with examples. Soldiers together make an army. Trees together make a forest. Shingles together make a roof. Bricks together make a wall. Drops of water together make a river. Snowflakes together make an avalanche. Links together make a chain. And people working together make a team. We will inevitably be able to accomplish things together that we could not accomplish alone.
With a clearer understanding, more efficiency in our efforts, and greater results from our activities, we will be on our way to excellence.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
[Ecclesiastes 4:9-10]
"Playing for yourself wins trophies; playing for your team wins championships."
[Tommy Lasorda, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, quoted in Glen Martin and Gary McIntosh, The Issachar Factor. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1993, p. 81]
“Just as quality and excellence were on every corporate tongue in the 1980s, teamwork, service, and partners in progress have become the 1990s theme.” (And I might add, the 2000s theme as well.)
[James B. Miller, The Corporate Coach. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993, p. 7]
“The mystique that Shackleton acquired as a leader may partly be attributed to the fact that he elicited from his men strength and endurance they had never imagined they possessed; he ennobled them.”
Statement made about explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, quoted in Leonard Sweet, Aqua Church. Loveland, CO: Group, 1999, p. 187]
posted by Pete Houpt @ 10:01 AM
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