The Art of Cooperative Intelligence Article Series (Art 11): The Cooperative Performance Principle of Cooperative Intelligence

In the previous article (Art 10), we briefly discussed the cooperative performance principle of discipline. In that principle, we identify cooperative intelligence as a key discipline. In the cooperative performance model, we also identify cooperative intelligence as a stand alone cooperative performance principle. This can create confusion, what gives you may ask?

If an individual, organization, and or society fails to demonstrate the discipline necessary to achieve the appropriate level of cooperative intelligence required to then apply and practice that intelligence, then its necessary to present discipline as the supporting principle to intelligence. In summation, cooperative discipline is the demonstrated resilient commitment and practice to and of responsible and necessary action (or inaction) whereas cooperative intelligence impacts value the application and practice thereof ; while evolving cooperative discipline. The value contribution to cooperative environments, activities, performance, and outcomes through the relationship of cooperative discipline and cooperative intelligence, is reciprocal.

In the previous article (Art 10), we discussed a very disappointing period in my life resulting in a few years where I had struggled with depression and became suicidal. Professionally during that period, I failed to meet my own standards and expectations of work place behavior. I almost destroyed my family and if it were not for good people, who did not have to, around me pushing me and pulling me in the right direction; I potentially may not be here today.

Prior to that period, I was certainly well aware of the concept of depression and I was decently knowledgeable on suicide as well as prevention but became unknowingly trapped in both. Looking back, during that depression, my lack of discipline made me more susceptible to professionally inappropriate behaviors. In some of those instances regardless of how minor, I simply failed to be properly disciplined even though I had the knowledge, understanding, skill set, and a long history of (prior to and after) being highly professional and ethical. Leaders, employees, and everyday citizens are at risk of detrimental outcomes once they become undisciplined and thus they need to have better awareness about discipline, understanding or intelligence, and how discipline and intelligence facilitate performance and outcomes. If we care about preventing these inappropriate situations and behaviors, we have to have the right dialogue at the right time.

Its important to remember the that cooperative performance model has a continuous learning, evolution, and adapting loop as a principle. In the included illustration, this is identified to the right of the model and labeled "learning and conditioning." This allows gained cooperative intelligence to immediately feedback into ones devolving cooperative discipline tool box. This design helps the cooperative performance model to be universal and continuously adaptable to end user needs.

Lets touch back on depression, suicide, sexual harassment and add quid pro quo sexual harassment, drug abuse, and even discrimination. Although appropriate immediate professional help should be sought (initiated through family, work, facilitator, witnesses, and or victims) in cases such as life or physically threatening or other threatening or intimidating situations such as those in sexual abuse, quid pro quo sexual harassment, suicidal idealizations, and or other similar situations to include potential drug abuse or addiction; we need to better integrate appropriate dialogue and prevention strategies in our everyday lives. These are real issues in the work place and they are highly sensitive in many ways to everyone involved, however, if our goal is prevention then there is a lot of uncomfortable dialogue that would appear to be overdue.

I am not providing clinical or legal advice and each individual must evaluate their own situation related to any of the topics presented in this article. I can say that we all need to improve our self-awareness, the awareness of those around us both struggling with and those who are victim to, and we find a balanced approach to starting the right conversations, prevention efforts, and remedies to include open and preventative discussions with our own children.

Questions, Comments, and or Concerns regarding this article and or its content should be sent to [email protected].

All intellectual property rights to include patent pending automation of methods related to Cooperative Performance Science and Intelligence (CPS or CPSI) as described here within, are reserved by Mark D. Grissom