Creative Collaboration: Manna from Heaven

Reaping the benefits of relationship-based business.

No man is an island.

You’ve heard the saying, but how often do we stop to really contemplate how important relationships are when building a business? From an unpaid intern to a six-figure (or more) client, the importance of connection cannot be undervalued. Collaboration comes in many forms across every organization, and knowing how to recognize the worth of relationships can reap benefits for your business.

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Inspiration is All Around:

Nora Ephron, famed screenwriter, once said, “Everything is copy.” By that, she simply meant that everything that happens in life, good or bad, is fodder. The same can be said for the people we work with. Whether personal or professional, from the worst client you’ve ever had, to the person you sit next to on the bus - every human has a story and a life rich with experience. Recognizing that fact, and respecting that everyone you work with has their own ideas, skills, experiences, and opinions - while taking time to discover them- can open your eyes (and mind) and funnel directly into your creativity.

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Better Together:

As skillsets become increasingly specialized, collaboration becomes more important than ever. Working with people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise is a mine of learning just waiting to be tapped. Getting feedback, sharing opinions and knowledge, and collective problem solving all help you to gain a sense of how others work and create, as well as offer opportunities to glean new habits, skills and ways of working for yourself. After all, we improve our weak points by learning from the strengths of our team.

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Collaborate to Connect:

Working with others is not only good for your business, it’s good for you. When we work together, we refine our communication skills, build bonds, and help to break down walls. Nothing unites people more than working towards a common purpose, and counting on others for support helps build trust and reinforces individual value  while creating a more effective and appealing workplace.

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Collaborate with Compassion:

Finally, collab with kindness. When you recognize the worth of every human you come across, in whatever capacity, you become a better collaborator yourself. Even during the most difficult of interactions or frustrating of collaborations, there are lessons to be learned - whether patience, perseverance, or just the power of pushing through.

Purposefully choosing to make collaboration a core focus of your organization can not only help build morale and trust, but also fosters open, connected and engaged workplaces - filled with satisfied clients and staff that stick around.

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