Collaboration

Work created through shared decisions and contributions from more than one party.

Reach for it when naming a joint process or its result when ownership is genuinely shared

The mural was a collaboration between local artists and primary-school students.

• everyday

  joint effort

  a plain phrase should emphasize shared labor

  not when Joint effort says little about shared thinking or decision-making.

• everyday

  teamwork

  coordinated effort inside one group is central

  not when Teamwork stresses functioning together, not shared authorship across parties.

• warm

  co-creation

  users or communities help design the result

  not when Co-creation is misleading if participants only review or implement.

• professional

  cooperation

  helpful compliance and reduced conflict are enough

  not when Cooperation does not require jointly creating the outcome.

• professional

  partnership

  an ongoing defined relationship supports the work

  not when A partnership may exist on paper before any collaboration occurs.

• formal

  alliance

  parties unite around a strategic interest

  not when Allies may coordinate selectively while protecting separate ownership.

• rivalry
• isolation
• obstruction

• close collaboration

  Close collaboration exposed the scheduling problem before construction began.

• successful collaboration

  The successful collaboration gave both museums access to the archive.

• collaboration between

  Collaboration between the two clinics reduced duplicate travel.