It takes Two to Tango and many more to have a Chorus Line.  For either of these to work without stepping on feet, or worse, requires careful Collaboration.  It’s not about just getting together with a vague idea of what’s supposed to happen next; success in these endeavors requires careful thought about the purpose, the choreography and plenty of practice.

Achieving success leading a team in business is much like that.  Whether you are working with one person, or many, the effort should be focused and planned with precision. Then you dance!  Invariably, the dance involves some missteps along the way, but if you and your partner(s) know how it should look, then you can make the mid-course corrections needed.

Collaboration is the key.  Teams need to talk, share ideas and plan their next moves together.  Much more can be accomplished through synchronized effort than by one person working alone. A tap-dancer can be amusing to watch for a few minutes, but the coordinated effort of a synchronized dance team can be awe-inspiring. The same can be said of business.

Collaboration isn’t about telling; it’s about sharing. Collaboration occurs when the desired outcome is known by those involved and when they decide to dance together.  I’ve been in the midst of many collaborative efforts this week and have witnessed how creative energy takes shape in the right environment.  Done well, the end result is simply and beautifully remarkable.

You can’t collaborate with yourself.  After all, it takes Two to Tango!