Why do people go on the offensive and defensive instead of collaboration. This is something I have wondered for a long time. I personally have been doing it and I have seen other people do it. I have not understood others, I have not understood me.

I think when we are confident and safe we collaborate. When we are unsafe and lack confidence we choose to be on the offensive or on the defensive. How can we make ourselves confident and safe. I have been unconfident and unsafe so many times in my life.

It is funny to be a SAFe practice consultant and having to say that I have felt unsafe in life 😂

We talk about transparency and the moment we start opening up expecting collaboration; people tend to become offensive and defensive. There is a big wave an uncomfortable existence. Because Transparency comes with vulnerability and vulnerability needs not just confidence and safety, but also courage.

I love how we human beings; me, you, each one of us find it difficult to be vulnerable. It is like we are on the seashore holding a think unknown forest inside us. When trees fall inside us, people outside do not understand. We don’t. We are lost in the forest.

There are amazing possibilities in every interaction. The question is how can we realize it. There are two sides to every interaction. And collaboration happens only when both sides win.

Finding collaboration in all interactions. Yes we could fail, we might find difficulty. But we keep searching.

And we could find it in places we least expect !

-Vinod-