Take Collective Action to Realize a Vision

I attended the Obama Campaign Legacy Conference this weekend, followed by the presidential inauguration. I write this blog before my husband and I start getting dressed for the inaugural ball. 

At the Legacy Conference, 4,000 campaign organizers and volunteers stressed how it took collective action to attain the goal of re-electing Obama in every state – especially the battleground states.  The excitement about successful accomplishment was all around me. The inspiration of the vision, mixed with the pride and appreciation of all it took to succeed, was a powerful intoxicant. 

At the Presidential inauguration, I got goose bumps as I heard Obama give his inaugural speech. His message was clear:

“This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending.  An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.”

I learned from Obama’s successful campaign and message that collective action is all about collaboration and partnership. None of us can take on projects single-handedly in our quest for results. To make it work, we must embrace three things:

Alignment with purpose and direction. Everyone needs to be aligned behind the same goal, understand rules and expectations, and have clarity about what success will look like. Everyone must be motivated to collaborate. Anyone who feels forced to be involved will become a distraction from the focus of the project. 

Frequent and respectful communication. Collaboration requires regular updates among the participants, as both a group and as individuals. Communication must be open, honest, and respectful. Questioning from a mindset of curiosity will allow constructive criticism, challenges, and encouragement – essentials for mutual respect and appreciation. 

Leadership that ensures accountability. Leadership ensures that collaboration is sustained to achieve results. Even in a collaboration of two, someone must take the lead. Good leaders listen attentively, act as a mediator, create structures and process for action, and constantly ask, “Where do we go next and who’s doing what?” Leaders are the glue that holds the partnership together, and they know how to make the best of everyone’s talents and capacity to get things done. 

–Andrea Zintz, Career Coach