Who have you enjoyed collaborating with so far this year?
Earlier this year, I reached out to a few colleagues to have conversations about Skillful Collaboration. My starting point was simple: collaboration means “to work together.” The word comes from the Latin collaborare — col (together) and labore (to work).
From there, the fun began. Coffee, cake, and long conversations about how people in organizations really work together.
One of my favourite such conversations was with my friend and colleague, Jackelien van Dijk. She works at the intersection of people development and tech development — which meant we shared lots of interests, and also had plenty of different perspectives.
We spent hours in a café in Den Haag, talking, listening, and thinking together. At one point Jackelien suggested we “ask” ChatGPT to broaden the conversation. My immediate reaction was negative. Arrgh, no! I don’t want that technology interfering. It’ll reduce our human connection and flatten our emergent thinking.
Jackelien humoured me, and we stayed in our human-to-human dialogue. But later she circled back to the role of AI in collaboration — and her question stayed with me:
Why not be open and welcoming with humans when collaborating — and equally open and welcoming with AI?
That reflection sparked something. So much so that we decided to write an article together, which was published last week in the Netherlands:
Skillful Collaboration: Nieuwe kijk op samenwerken
By Nick Regan & Jackelien van Dijk
Published in TVOO Magazine
Here is a link to the article.
BIG thanks to Jackelien. I loved collaborating with you this year… and, just a little bit, with AI too.
For me, the most important step in collaborating skillfully — whether with people or with AI — is to be open and welcoming. That’s what unlocks connection, curiosity, and the chance for something new to emerge.
So here’s my invitation:
- How are you welcoming AI into your human-to-human collaborations?
- How could it bring more knowledge into your conversations?
- More perspectives into your decision-making?
- More structure and inclusion into your meetings?
- More reach for peer coaching across your team?
When we welcome both humans and AI into collaboration — not as replacements, but as partners — the possibilities open wide.
Openness and welcome may just be the most important steps for skillful collaboration. How will you be open and welcoming in your team?
