Designing

Cooperation.

Cooperation Science was founded on the idea that it is actually possible to design cooperation - that you can craft the shared meaning and understanding that allows groups of all types to engage together in purposeful action.

 

A core principle that our vision relies upon is grounded in the reality that all humans are far more alike than they are different. Our brains, the center for all behavior including decision-making, are largely the same from person to person, and in fact, haven't changed much over the last 200,000 years or so.

 

We're all literally wired to connect and act together - we're naturally social beings. And every one of us feels a biological imperative for meaning in our lives. We need to contribute, to be part of something larger than ourselves, and to feel that the roles that we play are important.

 

However, as much as our brain-driven emotions have remained the same, the environments in which we live our lives have changed dramatically. The increasingly complex contexts in which we are called upon to interact with others, to make decisions, and to respond to emotions are out of sync with those prevalent when our shared brain capacities evolved.

 

As a consequence, we often struggle to find mutual pathways forward that can trigger our instinctive preference for cooperation, producing shared benefit and addressing the crisis of meaning that keeps most of us from living fully. Our organizations consistently fall short of what is possible.

 

There is hope. Cooperation Science has a deep understanding of the human nature that we all share along with the dynamic environments that tend to get in our way. We've helped organizations of all types redesign these environments to promote understanding and cooperation, writing their story of "we," and creating meaningful relationships with customers, employees, shareholders, patients, students, investors, families, and the public at large, producing human capital that is difficult to overvalue.

 

Together, we can do great things. The role of modern leadership is to make this possible by creating the conditions that allow us all to bring out the best in each other. To create cultures where trust is not only possible, but expected. To champion cooperation while embracing individualism and diversity. To listen intently. And to fill the lives of those around them with meaning. We can help.