Warning! I am going to start this post by talking about my kids and their friends.  

I know that there is nothing more boring that having someone prattle on about their kids. So I'll be brief.

It’s because kids can teach us about collaboration, the collaboration we all once knew (even you, without the kids). 

It struck me that kids (yours, mine and that other guy's) seem to be pretty good at making it happen. 

I've been listening to them talk… it’s one idea after another. They can’t wait to get together.  

I’ve watched them build something out of spare bits that they find lying around. Or they create some new video with their technology, which is never too far away.  

They all seem to know what to do and when. Sometimes, it doesn’t even look like they're collaborating, it’s so seamless. 

Sometimes it looks like an argument. There’s one voice trying to get on top of another to share the best idea. 

Sometimes one leads, then another. There is a lot of trust - a lot of inclusion.  

But no ever walks away upset. Somehow, it all works out. As a matter of fact, this can go on for hours, even days. It depends what it is, I guess. I wasn’t invited to the meeting.

It got me thinking about what it takes (in our grown-up world) to be a great collaborator.  And here's what I’ve come up with.