On a recent trip to Europe I found myself training an audience of 36 software sales professionals. “Raise your hand if you didn’t hit your target last year?” I asked. Over twenty hands were raised. “Now, raise your hand if over the last three years you have failed at least once to hit your annual target.” Over 30 hands were raised. I then proceeded to select a few delegates at random; “Tell me in one sentence, why didn’t you hit your target?” One person replied, “Too many operational problems.” Another lamented, “Our customers lost confidence in the service.” A third piped up, “Not enough support internally!” And so it went on, excuse after excuse: 

Collaboration is probably the word that buzzes around the businesses that I work with the most, but it’s also the thing that is most conspicuous by its absence. It’s presence is deeply missed and even craved by those who lack it. 

At times it will appear in all of its glory to create new ways of being and new opportunities, developing individuals and signalling transformation. Sadly, unless a culture of collaboration is embedded, it is a fleeting moment of magic.