Collaboration and compromise

IT'S THE SMALL THINGS

I was recently asked by a friend of mine during a random conversation – if there are two traits or attributes in a person that you seek when either hiring an employee, or finding someone to work with, what would they be? Although, of course, there are so many more, the first two words that popped into my mind – both of which also happen to begin with the same letter – were collaboration and compromise. An individual who is willing to collaborate to grow ideas, and one who definitely needs to know how to compromise makes the best team players, group members and partners even, if you will.
First of all, someone who is willing to collaborate with others is a person who is humble enough to acknowledge that he/she is not the master of everything. That humility, in and of itself, is a characteristic that will not only make matters go smoother, but is actually telling of someone who is open-minded, and happy to learn from others. That person is most likely to be a team player, and for ideas to grow, one must be able to accept the ideas of others, and most importantly, give credit where it is due. After all, as the saying goes, “team work makes the dream work.” While there are the very gifted individuals and the geniuses out there, for the most part, no one is capable of doing everything on their own.
Compromise is key. Not only in the success of marriages and personal relationships, but as well in the work place, with colleagues, and others you may cross paths with. Someone who is willing to “give and take” and give others a chance is a person who is not only considerate, but one who is empathetic and most likely compassionate as well. Knowing how and when to compromise is not only essential in forming cohesive enough and productive relationships, it is also crucial in allowing team work to flow. Humility is an element as well that allows people to effectively compromise, and nothing in this world quite gets fixed without compromise. After all, nothing will ever always go our way.
To be able to collaborate and compromise on your road to achieving your goals – personal or professional – are not the end all, and be all. They are but two essential components in allowing these things to work. No one ever has it all, but it is always a good place to start somewhere, and working on practicing these traits will most definitely give you a head start.