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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Radical Collaboration summary
James W. Tamm
Ronald J. Luyet
Five Essential Skills to Overcome Defensiveness and Build Successful Relationships
18 mins
Brief summary
Radical Collaboration by James W. Tamm and Ronald J. Luyet is a business book that provides tools and techniques for developing trusting, productive relationships within teams and organizations. It emphasizes the importance of effective communication, inclusion, and problem-solving as key elements of successful collaboration.
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Radical Collaboration
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Key idea 1 of 8
Collaboration requires good intentions and an unselfish attitude.
The modern business world is highly interconnected, with teams spread across the globe that, with the use of online communication, can nevertheless collaborate with one another as if they were neighbors. As such, it’s more important than ever to have great collaborative skills.
So without further ado, let’s look at five essential skills that every great collaborator should have – skills so useful they’ll not only improve your business relationships, but your personal ones as well.
Every great collaboration needs to start with the right motives, which is why the first skill is collaborative intention which refers to having the right mindset for collaboration.
To make sure you have the right mindset, you’ll want to make sure to avoid the red zone and stay in the green zone.
The red zone is a place of defensiveness, where people are mostly driven by a sense of self-interest and the will to outshine everyone else. When you’re in the red zone, you’re not thinking about creative resolutions or how to find win-win situations; instead, your selfish desires will create conflict.
Where you want to be is in the green zone, where your mind is focused on cultivating successful, long-term collaboration, and everyone is driven by open and cooperative values. People in the green zone are opposed to selfish gains and are instead driven to find solutions where everyone comes out ahead.
However, it’s all too common for people to mistakenly think they’re in the green and unconsciously sabotage a project by being in the red.
This is why it’s important to always be honest with yourself and reflect on your own attitude while being open to feedback from your colleagues.
A helpful exercise is to ask your teammates for ten words that best describe your attitude or style.
What you want to be on the lookout for are words like “defensive,” “closed,” “anxious” or “competitive,” as these are telltale signs that you’re in the red zone. You can also ask your colleagues to inform you when you’ve mistakenly made a huge deal out of a small incident, as this will also help you stay firmly in the green.
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What is Radical Collaboration about?
Radical Collaboration (2004) offers invaluable methods to help you build effective and high-functioning collaborative relationships, as well as strategies to manage any kind of conflict that you might run into. At the heart of these methods are five skills that can turn anyone into a better teammate and turn any organization into an efficient and productive partnership.
Radical Collaboration Review
Radical Collaboration (2003) explores the concept of collaboration and offers practical strategies for building successful partnerships. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides insightful tools and techniques that can be applied in various professional and personal settings, helping individuals and teams achieve better outcomes.
- Backed by decades of research and real-life examples, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of collaboration, making it relevant and applicable in any context.
- By emphasizing the importance of effective communication and mutual respect, the book helps foster strong relationships and productive collaborations, ensuring that it is anything but boring.
Best quote from Radical Collaboration
Defensiveness is a poison pill to good relationships. In conflict, defensiveness is like blood in the water to a shark.
—James W. Tamm and Ronald J. Luyet
Who should read Radical Collaboration?
- Business leaders
- Managers and teammates
- Readers interested in becoming better collaborators
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Radical Collaboration FAQs
What is the main message of Radical Collaboration?
The main message of Radical Collaboration is that working together in a collaborative and open manner leads to better outcomes and relationships.
How long does it take to read Radical Collaboration?
The reading time for Radical Collaboration varies, but it typically takes a few hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Radical Collaboration a good book? Is it worth reading?
Radical Collaboration is definitely worth reading. It provides valuable insights and practical strategies for improving collaboration and fostering positive relationships.
Who is the author of Radical Collaboration?
The authors of Radical Collaboration are James W. Tamm and Ronald J. Luyet.
What to read after Radical Collaboration?
If you're wondering what to read next after Radical Collaboration, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Leading Without Authority by Keith Ferrazzi with Noel Weyrich
- The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
- Equity by Minal Bopaiah
- Collaborative Intelligence by Dawna Markova
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene
- Impromptu by Reid Hoffman with GPT-4
- Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard
- Good to Great by Jim Collins
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel