This Aesop fable dramatically demonstrates how well the human body’s many complex parts work together to promote health and well-being.

In olden days, when a human being’s limbs did not work together as peacefully as they do now, but when each had a will and way of its own, the members began to criticize the Belly for enjoying a life of idleness and luxury, while they spent all their time working to feed it. They decided to cut off the Belly’s supplies in the future.

The Hands were no longer to carry food to the Mouth, nor would the Mouth receive the food, nor the Teeth chew it. One by one they all started to fail, and the whole body began to waste away.

Then the Members realized that the Belly had an important function of its own. They could no more do without it then it could do without them. They realized if they wanted to keep the body in a healthy state, they must work together for the common good of all. Only through working together can the greatest good for all be achieved.

Such is the absolutely vital importance of collaboration in business. Collaboration is not just a buzzword to throw around in meetings. It is a fundamental component that can determine the success or failure of an organization. In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving marketplace, the ability to collaborate effectively can set a company apart from its competitors.

But collaboration is hardly a new concept.  As Henry Ford said over a century ago, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” A stellar example is his creation of the moving assembly line, which enhanced collaboration and revolutionized the auto industry and manufacturing in general. Each station along the line could add another step toward the completion of the finished product.

Beyond manufacturing processes, collaboration produces results at all levels of business, from research and development to marketing. Consider these reasons why collaboration matters.

• Innovation. When different minds come together, the fusion of ideas can lead to innovative solutions that might not have been discovered in isolation.
• Efficiency. Collaboration can streamline processes, as team members can divide tasks according to their strengths, leading to more efficient outcomes.
• Problem-solving. Two or more heads are often better than one when it comes to solving complex problems. Diverse perspectives can uncover new angles and approaches.
• Learning and growth. Individuals within a collaborative environment are exposed to new knowledge and skills, fostering personal and professional growth.
• Resource sharing. Collaboration often means sharing resources, which can reduce costs and increase capabilities for all parties involved.
• Job satisfaction. Having a team that works together to complete a project or produce a finished product provides a sense of pride of ownership and achievement.

Collaboration is not reserved solely for projects in individual departments or companies.

Innovative companies have figured out some remarkable ways to work together.

A novel example of collaboration is the partnership between LEGO and NASA, two very different organizations that came together to achieve common goals. They combined their strengths to promote education in technology, engineering and mathematics, and even to create practical applications for space exploration. This kind of collaboration not only benefits both organizations but also has the potential to inspire and educate the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Athletic brand Nike and the technology giant Apple have been working together since the early 2000s, when the first line of iPods was released. The co-branding partnership started as a way to bring music from Apple to Nike customers’ workouts. Today, Nike Run Club connects Apple Watch users to training, expert coaching and custom brands that connect runners to a community with the latest technology to track fitness training.

I have yet to work with an organization that didn’t benefit from collaboration among the staff, either professional or volunteer. The Chamber of Commerce, school booster clubs, charitable organizations – all depend on collaboration among the members and their communities to be successful. Do you think we could have brought the Super Bowl to the frozen environs of Minnesota twice without tremendous community collaboration?  

Collaboration isn’t just about working together; it is about working smarter. It is about leveraging the collective expertise, creativity and resources of different parties to achieve something greater than what could be achieved alone.

Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.      

Mackay’s Moral: Collaboration is the multiplying factor in the equation of success.