Now THIS is classic Sesame Street. Classic. In this video, the Henson crew not only lyrically describes the impacts of cooperation, they also describe its viral and emergent properties.  Note that the Fonz-muppet sees the other muppets building and cooperating and is moved to replicate that. Then other muppets are all like, “Hey, that’s interesting, how can we help?” Then they go off to do it again.

Simplistic? Very much so. But accurate nonetheless. Cooperation is viral and as it spreads it gains momentum.

It’s like that in companies, where policies create either cooperative or isolating cultures. Cultures that focus on the dissemination of information as a means of getting things done establish a foundation for sharing and cooperation.  Cultures that avoid rigid role definitions and distribute decision making set this foundation as well.

Simple “seed” policies and an air of distributed decision-making can make it happen.

Cooperation.

Dig it.

Outside the organization, information bloodstreams between your company and your clients, your prospective clients, and your peers feed those relationships as well. Increasingly, people are understanding this relationship and are becoming less and less tolerant of interruptions in the flow of information.

Is your company allowing for healthy and ubiquitous information flow? Or have you placed a tourniquet around vital arteries?

Photo by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE