At a time when there seems to be so much unrest in the world, and with it coming so close to my home in London, I am compelled even more than ever to speak out about the power of sharing. The strength in numbers. The art of collaboration. The coming together for a common good.
Whenever I speak about collaboration a little (and terrible!) song comes to mind. It was a piece of music that was written for the British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand in 1995. The song is entitled “The Power of Four” but I have always known it as “Together We’re Stronger” which is one of the lines within the anthem.
I believe that when people come together they are stronger and more focused and more likely to achieve their dreams and goals than if they work on their own.
So how, as a small business owner can you come together with others to be stronger together? How can you support other businesses and in return be supported as well.
In my opinion, there are a number of things that makes collaboration work (and work well):
- Believe in a common goal
- Trust in the other people
- Give because you want to give
- Expect nothing directly in return
- Be sincere
- Follow your passion and your heart
The clean up groups that quickly formed following the riots in London and around the UK to me are fantastic examples of coming together for a greater good. The people leading and participating in those mass clean ups encompass all of those points above.
So who can you work with to achieve more than you can on your own?
What common goal are you working to achieve?