We all hear the comments and thoughts on working together and why it’s so important, and what kind of good it can achieve in this world. From the time we are kindergartners, we are taught to share, work in groups, be kind to one another, and in general, be cooperative.
The very meaning of the word “cooperation” is to work together, and it is indeed the best, perhaps only way to make things happen personally or professionally. Regardless of what side you take politically, you can see where not working together has gotten the US government lately. Working against each other creates unnecessary stress and friction without producing results.
But how do we best work together? The main thing is to listen–NOT with the intent of responding, per se, but listen for the purpose of comprehending fully what is being said. When we listen to understand rather than to merely respond, we take in aspects of the information being shared that we lose when we’re on the defense, at the ready to answer with refutation.
And bargaining. Many people view bargaining as a failure–they weren’t able to get 100 percent of things their way precisely. But both working and personal relationships have their gears oiled by the power of bargaining. Working together to create a deal that ultimately will cause the greatest good for the most amount of people/entities is tantamount to any business strategy you’ll read about in any book.
Anthony “Siggi” Clavien 