Cooperating for Results

All Enterprise is Cooperative

Achievement through cooperation lies:

  • at the heart of any successful organization,
  • at the heart of any successful social program, &
  • at the heart of any successful business alliance.

The need for cooperation between independent individuals pursuing a shared endeavour—whether these are persons, businesses or social agencies—is self-evident.  Yet, even on vital matters, cooperation remains problematic and satisfactory results are elusive.

The «Holy Grail» of Management and Politics

Appeals for more cooperation are common but futile. Yet cooperation is natural—so if there is a failure in cooperation it requires diagnosis and fixing. But diagnosis is not possible without a framework within which any problematic situation can be analysed.

The required framework as developed here offers:

  • rapid common-sense diagnosis of failures in joint endeavours
  • a basis for working out realistic solutions to issues.

The New Framework

We are focused on a work-arena, whether intra- or inter-organizational, so the analysis to follow builds on principles in the Modes similar to those explained in the career-development framework.

The spiral evolved in Modes/Stages through time, whereas here there will be progressive «Levels» that all operate at any point in time. Each Level will be a mode of engaging constructively in the work-arena.

We must also examine how the various Modes/Levels influence each other. In practice, the effectiveness of cooperation will depend on selective and effective use of Channels of influence between Centres within the Levels.

The first step in clarifying Centres and influences between them is always the same: identify the dynamic duality intrinsic to every choice. What might it be?

Originally posted: July 2009