We Got Your Back and Pursue Better Together with 3 Questions

Scientists mark the start of civilization in any ancient culture when they find evidence of community, one individual helping another through difficulty. A healed leg bone is proof that someone took the time to stay with a hurt individual through weeks of recovery, because no one can survive ALONE with a broken leg long enough for that bone to heal. 

… For humans, to Be TOGETHER means to Be SAFE…. to Collaborate is to survive.  (COLLABORATION = SURVIVAL)

Remember the brain has two goals: SURVIVAL and SAVING ENERGY. For every species, being a part of a Herd, a Pack, a Tribe, or a Community, REDUCES RISK and SAVES ENERGY.

For humans, collaboration is the cement that connects us as a community and elevates us… “None of us is as smart as ALL of us.” 

Collaboration (literally co-labor meaning to work jointly), is the very manifestation of Pursuing Better Together…And for Humans on a Journey, If we want to GO FAST and GO FAR we GO TOGETHER.

Behavioral psychologists tell us Collaboration can be represented verbally in what are called the three words of Unity: we, us and our and most powerfully in the phrase “we got your back.”

Research shows that when people collaborate they actually FEEL BETTER. It releases the three chemicals in the brain dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin that are the source of everything that’s good about being human: love, creativity, trust, enthusiasm, confidence… From a brain science perspective Collaboration is the most powerful of the cognitive bias shortcuts to Liking and Reciprocity … quite simply we LIKE PEOPLE who have our back, and we feel indebted to those who DO things WITH US and FOR US.

Here are the Big Three framing questions you can apply to show collaboration with anyone you would like to engage with: #1. What are the first three things the person is going to have to do before they can engage with you? #2. What are three obstacles that stand in their way? And #3. Can you eliminate one of those six things for them and let them know that WE GOT THEIR BACK?