In my younger days, what was brought home as healthy competition, now seems to have undergone a metamorphosis of a positive manner. I would like to term it as “Collaborative Symbiosis”! Although, both the words mean one and the same, to me they signify an affinity of a greater degree.
Often have I wondered in amazement at the peaceful coexistence between the different plant and animal species! A sturdy tree that requires no external support, can be seen embracing a creeper. They are entwined for life, as though they belong to the same family, or they are the long lost soulmates. The lichens, likewise, proliferate across a tree trunk to form the beautiful mosaics. Now, how do these creepers and lichens benefit the tree? How and why do they thrive so well in their togetherness?
Coming to the animal world, we can see the tiny aphids, being farmed dedicatedly by the ants. They protect them assiduously, who in turn become their power house, in the form of sugar droplets. It might sound disturbing; however, the extensive research work has proven the fact that we are only 10% humans, and the rest of the 90% of our existence is microbial. The research says that the average human has over 100 trillion microbes, in and on our body. Moreover, the latest discoveries have put a big question mark, on the previously held ideas about good and bad bacteria, as well. Well, and here we are deciphering our symbiotic coexistence with those many bacteria!
All of the above points, lead us strongly to the substantial fact of a great significance, pointing to the Collaborative Symbiosis. Subsequently, this can easily be translated, in terms of our day to day work life, also. We have all noticed that many company websites, proudly announce the names of their work, or business partners. The lines would typically read as “Our Training Partners”; “Our IT Partners”; “Our Partner in Finance”; “Our Partners in Healthcare”, so on and so forth. It cannot be denied that such partnerships further accentuate the success rate of the parties involved. These partnerships, establish a nourishing adequacy of a well-tuned coexistence, making “Collaborative Symbiosis”, a fruitful & profitable sustenance. If we could term it as a phenomenon, then it seems to be the Mantra of our times.
In a world where Darwin’s well postulated theory of “Survival of the Fittest” still holds good, this form of teaming should add to the quality of the world we breathe in, day in and day out!
“What we termed as competition in my younger days, seems to have evolved into the symbiotic and collaborative team effort. Additionally, the undivided focus on individual strengths, culminates into a win-win situation .”
“A World is not an ideology nor a scientific institution, nor is it even a system of ideologies; rather, it is a structure of unconscious relations and symbiotic processes”- William Irwin Thompson
P.S. Do keep visiting us for we shall tune back with more on Teaming & Team Building, from our live training delivery experiences as well as our life experiences, on this topic of vast expanse.
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Priya Gajamer
Founder & L&D Principal Consultant, CorpMantra Academy
An artistically inclined, health enthusiast, holding a degree in Bio Science, with 20+ years of work experience, spanning across industries. An IAF Certified Corporate Trainer in Soft Skills, and a Strategy Consultant for Global IT Services, she also dons the hat of an ardent blogger for Health & Wellness, IT & Retail, and is a Social Change Activist.