Previous: Chapter 18: Productivity
Collaboration is the essence of productivity in a social context.
Collaboration is my recognition that you too are an active being, that often you and I can achieve more together than apart, that often the creation of value is not a solitary pursuit but a matter of mutual achievement, focus, discipline, energy, and aspiration — a matter of being drawn together toward a shared goal in a shared pursuit based on shared values.
There are many challenges here. If there is no self-direction without self-discipline, is there also no shared direction without shared discipline? How can I respect your individuality within a group effort? It helps that you have your own domains of expertise and I have mine, that you and I can divide up the work so that you have your tasks and I have mine — but you and I always face the dangers of groupthink, of hierarchy, of power, of holding the organization above the individual. I must continually be mindful of these dangers if you and I are to work together with mutual respect and complete voluntarism.
Next: Chapter 20: Self-Improvement