Collaboration

Greetings and salutations from here to there. 

As you know, I’m a strong believer in collaboration—up, down, and all around.

But every collaborative effort is made up of individuals, and the difference between success, mediocrity, and failure depends on the quality of those individual contributions.

Synergism may be an overused buzzword, but it describes a real phenomenon: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Entrepreneurs understand this well—and small nonprofits must also think and act entrepreneurially.

For synergism to work, each participant must be fully independent while choosing voluntary interdependence with others. Everyone must be willing and able to complete their part of a shared goal.

That is easier said than done. 

The process of converting Me into We is slower than top-down mandates, but it creates shared ownership. When decisions are made collaboratively, there’s little need to enforce compliance—it's much more likely that people will willingly carry out the group decisions.

Even when teams are not explicitly collaborative, success depends on transforming Me into We, at the very least during the times of shared responsibilities. The Me-Myself-I mindset can disrupt group dynamics, especially when one strong will eclipses the shared goal—and often, those individuals believe the problem is everyone else!

With limited resources, we’ve found that a steady, “flow and glow” dynamic works better than a collection of strong-willed individuals. The hierarchical model implies a certain degree of obedience based on financial leverage, which is something most small grassroots organizations simply don't have.  

Natik and our partners have learned to cultivate collaboration among people with diverse perspectives, experiences, and skill sets as a strategy to navigate constant, unpredictable challenges along the way. 

Thanks for being part of our synergism! 

Saludos, 

Anita Smart

Executive Director