Cooperation is the act of participating, contributing, or helping to advance or accomplish a goal. It is similar to collaboration in that cooperation requires the input of many people. It is different from collaboration in that those involved in cooperation do not necessarily have to be members of the collaboration, and as such, these individuals or groups can have their own agendas but still contribute to the work of collaboration.
For example collaboration between hospital executives and physicians benefits from the cooperation of nurses, other caregivers, and support staff. Collaboration cannot occur without cooperation, but cooperation can occur without formal collaboration.
A cooperative attitude is a mental model. It influences a person’s desire and willingness to cooperate and produces an emotional response. For example, if an organization’s vice president is convinced that cooperation creates more work but yields no advantage for himself and his department, he will not volunteer his skills and knowledge to the effort; if required to cooperate he will perform with half effort, constantly question the necessity of the process and harbor resentment. This behaviour, in turn, negatively impacts his staff and anyone with whom he has contact.
Conversely, executives with a positive attitude about cooperation will do what they can to help and will feel honored that they are contributors to the overall mission. Their attitude then inspires and encourages staff and associates to change their cooperation mindset. Since a cooperative attitude is critical to true collaboration, leaders must work to change their own mental model first if necessary, and then guide their followers to do the same.
Without a cooperative attitude, disruptive competition and conflict reign – two conditions in which errors are highly likely, staff morale and motivation are low, performance is inconsistent and unreliable, communication and cooperation are nonexistent, and everyone has a secret agenda. Does any of this sound like a place you really want to work?
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.