ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on what we think of as a foundational skill and attitude for effective everyday community practice: collaboration. It also focuses on the more formal relationships that readers need in their work, what is often referred to as ‘networking’. The importance of being able to work with others, be they professional peers or residents, cannot be overstated. Rarely do professionals acknowledge their inability or reluctance to work collaboratively: most claim that ‘of course’ they work well with others. The community worker below advises against predetermining readers' professional network and advocates being mindful that in all their interactions they are cultivating their professional support system. The ability to collaborate with others is particularly important for effective everyday community practice. Partnerships or participatory processes appear regularly in indexes but, once again, are framed instrumentally. Collaboration at individual worker level sometimes reflects personalities, shared political perspectives or pragmatism.
