I’ve run businesses for 20 years.
I’ve experienced cold, hard competition.
And warm collaboration.
I prefer the latter.
Sharing.
When you decide to share.
And it goes well.
Business is lovely.
As is life.
Bacon Sandwiches.
My 3 year old daughter Izobel wants to share and collaborate sometimes.
The most recent example was a bacon sandwich from The Cycle Hub.
Izobel looked up at me with her big brown eyes.
And asked to share.
I, of course, entered into the agreement.
Only to discover that Izobel’s idea of collaboration and sharing.
Is that she gets the bacon.
And I get the bread.
Just Be You.
There is sometimes a gap between the idea of collaboration.
And the practicalities.
I tend to base collaboration on just one thing.
Not terms and conditions.
Not negation.
I choose – ‘Just Be You’.
What I mean is, seeing if the natural state of all parties really is caring as much about about each other as themselves.
This is the values bit, I guess.
The ‘can you look each other in the eye’ bit.
The ‘do we talk about each other in the same way when we are in the same room as when we are apart’ bit.
I don’t know what it’s called.
But do know that.
When you are sharing something.
It’s very important.
