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\n\t\t\tMany of the organizations I have worked with are, in some way or other, a cooperative or collaborative.\u00a0 These are people, and their organizations, that have come together in cooperation to create something that is more than they could be on their own.\u00a0 However, cooperation requires some degree of sacrifice of independence and individualism.\u00a0 The way an organization manages the tension between cooperation and individualism is often characterised by culture.\u00a0 Not that long ago, I found myself quoting the Three Musketeers \u2013 \u201cAll for One and One for All\u201d.\u00a0 At the time, it seemed a simple, universally familiar, way of expressing the path to maintain a positive, cooperative culture.\u00a0 Then I was reminded of a motto from my days at summer camp \u2013 \u201cThe Best of Each for the Good of All\u201d.\u00a0 This seems a better, if somewhat more complicated, motto for cooperative work.\u00a0 I like the idea that, in a cooperative environment, everyone brings their best ideas and efforts to benefit everyone.\u00a0 A cooperative that respects individuals for bringing their best to the table creates a positive culture that will find a successful balance between cooperation and individualism.<\/p>\n
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