The Soil of Collaboration: Cultivating Conditions for Working Together

The author (Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington and founder of the international leadership organizations Perennial and RootSpring) discusses his journey from farming to leadership, and how agricultural principles became a key part of how he learns and leads. He explains the difficulties that can arise with collaborations, depicted in Figure 1, Spectrum of Collaboration. The components are: 1. Exchanging Resources: The Transactional Level 2. Shared Process: Adaptive Collaboration 3. Shared Outcomes: Strategic Alignment 4. Shared Purpose and Destiny: The Deepest Form of Collaboration. He provides “three key principles for cultivating successful collaborations,” which in his words are: Clarify Intentions and Expectations from the Start; Build Structures, Not Just Relationships; and Recognize When to Walk Away. The author writes that “one of the clearest examples of a more generative form of collaboration comes from Alan Mulally, the former Chief Executive Officer/CEO of Ford Motor Company. His “Working Together” Leadership and Management System transformed Ford from a struggling auto giant into one of the most remarkable business turnarounds in modern history.” Moving forward, the author says, “Like any skill, collaboration requires ongoing refinement. Invest in the structures, rhythms, and tools that enable it to be intentional, rather than accidental.”