Collaboration?

Here we are, back at the beginning. After all, this blog is named "Collaboration Blog". My sense is that within the design community we "talk a good game". We all want to collaborate, and we speak of the benefits of collaboration. Yet, when you come right down to it, how many instances of collaboration have most of us experienced?

Most of us have had brief glimpses of collaborative activity. Reports are that it is stimulating, engaging and can feel like everyone is moving in slow motion when the ebb and flow of human interaction is working. How can we make these rare instances where everything is moving in sync more routine in our lives?

I am not claiming to be an expert. Yet, when I began this quest, over seven years ago now, I threw myself into the "collaboration game". I vowed to find a group of collaborative people, and work together to design the inclusive world that we all imagined would be possible to create.

In addition to passion to be collaborative and advance collaborative practices, I also had an intuitive sense that my value system, ethical foundation (what I felt was fair) and professional and personal aspirations were similar to those of other women. I also felt that my value system, ethical foundation and aspirations were somewhat difference from most of the men I know or have worked with, especially the "alpha men" who seem to be the people most likely to start and build successful businesses.

When I think of harmonious human endeavor, the barn raising, quilting bee and pot luck dinner come to mind. Do these projects share any common ground with our professional worklife? If they don't currently, could they?