Human history is filled with collaborations, and some of those have been quite unusual. When two people who seem to have nothing in common make magic, why does it work?
In many ways, the story of humans is one of collaboration. What one relatively weak and unassuming individual cannot do, a group can accomplish relatively easily. Working together has made our species masters of the world.
Even now, this kind of collaboration can be seen everywhere. What is a company, after all, if not a group of individuals pooling their talents and efforts? Some are working on manufacturing, some on marketing, others on sales, and so on.
Some of the most obvious examples happen in music. It is easy to see that two (or more) musical artists are collaborating when they perform, and perhaps even write, a song together.
Some of these pairings or groupings can seem a little odd, but can actually produce beautiful music. It might not be obvious that, say, a country singer might perform with an Irish band. Or an elder statesman singer of standards would match up well with a young pop star.
While these musical collaborations are quite visible, they are not the exception. There are examples of unexpected team-ups throughout our society.
This should be too surprising, of course. After all, one of the benefits of collaboration is finding others who have skills, knowledge, or connections that you lack. This would naturally suggest unusual pairings or groupings.
What is it that can make an unusual pairing work, and what are some of the things that might cause that same pairing to fail? What are the ingredients for a good collaboration? And how might you use this information to choose who you want to work with?
Related questions: How can we encourage collaboration? Competition or collaboration? How does your personal life influence your work life?
I can think of two reasons an unusual collaboration would work. The first is born out of necessity. Two or more parties find themselves in a situation that demands cooperation. Success likely relies on those involved sharing their assessments of a circumstance and discussing how each of their skills should prove helpful—hopefully without letting power plays and egos get in the way. Then, after agreeing on a plan of action, they approach the issue before them, communicating as they work things through to completion. This type of collaboration may eventually lead others to collaborate similarly—a new way of approaching an issue is born.
The second circumstance in which an unusual collaboration may work is when two or more parties appreciate or admire each other. Curiosity is piqued. Could working together be fun and productive? They decide to give it a go. Once together, as in the first case, they share ideas and communicate with one another as the work progresses. Or, they may connect naturally and play off one another through non-verbal cues rather than needing to talk things through. In any case, hopefully, the pursuit was, in fact, exciting and fruitful.