Collaborating on a Fabulous Event

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You’re watching me violate a personal rule.

I seldom talk politics, except with my wife, who is forbidden from testifying against me in court. However, I'm impressed by the recent federal election campaign. So many citizens moved away from extreme positions and toward the center on so many issues.

And with all the positives and negatives we hear about these days, politicians are still talking about having us all work together to solve our mutual problems. Shun partisan conflict, they say. Let’s collaborate, debate all our viewpoints, compromise, and get the job done well.

Though it doesn’t always work out this way (You hear me, Sacramento?), I like this approach to resolving problems, whether they’re worldwide, personal, or somewhere in between. In fact, my personal bias assumes (hopes, actually) that we always gain more from cooperating more than we lose by competing less. Follow that?

In other words, I suspect that when a problem isn’t solved well, it’s because either we overlook significant perspectives or we fail to consider enough potential remedies. Or to twist an old adage, most of the time too FEW cooks spoil the broth.

Here’s my point: In my experience, we accomplish more by working together, and I think we all ought to collaborate more.

Collaborate (“col” + “labor”) literally means Work Together. I believe we are at our best when we work together for the common good. However we keep ourselves busy and useful, we benefit from involving more hands and more brains. Think positive -- we each benefit when we all benefit. You think so too?

Think of the most successful people you know personally. How few of them accomplish everything by themselves? How many of them consistently work with reliable friends and colleagues?

If you already collaborate much of the time, GREAT! It’ll be easy to add one more example to your resume. However if you seldom collaborate, start doing it on a simple job right now, and its success will make your next few projects increasingly easier.

Here’s how. Imagine the next project you’d like to tackle. Maybe a personal ambition or a job for a client. Then choose a friend or colleague whose skills would help you, and invite him to join in, hire him yourself, or recommend him to your client. Choosing partners well makes your work easier, more productive, and more enjoyable.

Here’s what brings this to mind. I’m excited about my part in a huge project, just announced yesterday. It’ll be fantastic -- coordinating with about 30 of my finest Bay Area colleagues who work in weddings and parties. We'll be giving some lucky couple a fabulous wedding celebration, to showcase some of our best professional talent. It’s a wonderful opportunity to generate attention to stimulate local businesses, and give back to the community that supports us. Our success will inspire similar projects in other industries and in other locales. Interested? See the details here.

Meanwhile, my life isn’t ALL big projects. The band has been jazzing up events of all sizes, and I’m always on the lookout for more opportunities. For instance, will you be celebrating a significant event soon? Throw a party and include us. Are friends talking about a wedding? Please recommend us. Today I’m talking with people hosting parties for Father’s Day and the 4th of July. If you’ll have a soiree on one of these days, or on any day in between, now’s a good time to arrange the details, including the music.

Have a question? We’ll have the answer. Call us at 408-245-9120. You’ll love what we do. We’re easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration.

In the meantime, please catch us at one of these public events coming up. On Saturday, June 27, we’ll be setting the perfect elegant mood for “The Vintage Affaire” wine auction and dinner party at a fabulous estate in Atherton, and a week later -- on July 4th -- we’ll be entertaining prior to the fireworks at the City of Cupertino’s holiday festivities. Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for details, and I hope to see you soon.

Please take a moment to find me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. Want to catch us in action? Visit my Facebook Page, become a fan, and you’ll receive an update for each of our public appearances.

Thanks for reading my blog. Please send me a comment (below), and I’ll reply promptly. For now, here’s a question for you: How well do you collaborate with your colleagues?