I don’t imply negativity in claiming the ubiquitous nature of the word collaboration. I’m just trying to figure out what it really means.

My friend, Peter, sent me two possibilities this past week:

1.  2 or more individuals working together to design or create solutions to a shared problem.

2.  A virtuous cycle of value creation that involves human interaction

More and more I find that people assume that whatever happens when groups of people meet and get along is collaborative. In most cases, it’s probably cooperation. They got along in order to move a project along. Cooperation means compromise and is the mainstay of committees. Collaboration, on the other hand, rises to a higher level of human interactivity. Collaboration calls for true relationship and it requires something akin to virtue to accomplish.

For now, I’ll simply define collaboration as co-creation. It begins with the movement from me to we; from you to us; and from my to ours.

How would you define it?

Some weeks back a friend of mine began a new job at a new organization. On his first day, they sent him two emails. The first email contained the policy on summer hours. The second email attached the policy on the dress code. First day on a new job. . . . filled with excitement. . . . . pregnant with possibilities. . . . . . new beginning. . . . . . . summer hours policy and dress code. It reminds me of my first day of work on the last job I started. I’m not sure they even knew I was coming. What a missed opportunity.

Here are 3 things to give a new employee their first day on the job. 1. Assign them a mentor for the next six months  who is virally ill with enthusiasm about the mission of the organization.  2.  Give them a tangible symbol of your organization’s BIG STORY. Use it to tell them a key part of that story in the most inspiring way possible. 3.  Get the President of the organization to write them a personal note (handwritten preferable) inviting them to write him/her back after 6 weeks with a note detailing ten things the company could do better.

What happened on your first day at the new job?  What would have made it better?