Supergroups Always Break Up

This post marks a change in the blog. I'm going to lend this analogy to collaboration instead of just education and teaching. I'm finding myself thinking more and more about collaborating lately and how it is vital to survival.

The title of this blog is Supergroups always break up. What I mean by this is when collaborating it is important to remember that all collaborations have an expiration date. Collaborations come together for a common purpose. Various members with various talents and experiences join up to create, or make decisions. Often when the job is done the collaborative group stays around, to make more decisions. Sooner or later the decisions and actions get worse and worse. The group has passed it's expiration date.

If you follow a band, and if it has some success, and it breaks up millions of fans are disappointed. They don't understand, the collaboration has passed it's expiration date. Other times rock creates a supergroup. An outstanding guitarist will hook up with a bassist, drummer and singer from other successful groups. They create a great collaboration, then poof, they call it quits.

What a great example for the workplace. Managers, leaders will bring together their supergroup. Give them a fixed action or decision. They are successful, but soon falter. Again the expiration date is due.

If you look at the workings of the group, and dissect it you can see it's successes and failures. With a supergroup, each member brings its experience from their past bands. It gives new perspective to the new collaboration. They create, celebrate and move on. At the first sign this experienced group is out of there. They break up and move on to the next project. Often times you'll find certain members of the group hit it off and become part of the next collaborative group. New members add new blood to the new project.

Once it is recognized, the cycle repeats. Sometimes new relationships with old members are made when the time is right.

I've found this to be true even with the crappy cover bands I've played in. The members are ever changing. They collaborate for the gig and move on, play with other bands. They may come back with those experiences and make the next collaboration better.

Often we yearn for the original line up. We think the first genesis of the band was it. Time does not stand still. Learn to appreciate the changes in collaborative group, if you lucky it will change, you'll recognize the expiration dates, and move on.