If you had to rate how you alive your organization is on a scale of 1 to 10, what would your number be? For our organizations to be alive, we have to ensure the right mix of the business and human components. When companies set the intention on moving towards a balance to both, they have happier and more productive teams. Here is how we have seen companies move to increasing their number.
Leadership’s Believe in Themselves & Their Teams
When the Leadership team believes in themselves, each other and their associates, they come from a different perspective. They allow the team to own their work and their success. Each person believes that the others are creative, resourceful and whole. This equates to freedom from having to control and do everything. It means that leadership believes their job is to ensure that every employee is able to follow their values and thus, are on the right path for them. When those employees are on the right path, they will do great work because they see the belief in them from the top down and from within themselves as well.
Teams Continually Build Strong Interpersonal Relationships
Teams that know each other, trust each other and appreciate each other will work well together. Connecting on a personal level increases the ability to want to understand where the other person is coming from. They can support each other through challenges and change in a way that is respectful, honest and authentic. The business comes faster once the personal connection is secure. This is a continual process and just like any relationship, we need to continually notice where we are now and nurture the relationship by making adjustments based on all of the other environmental factors that are coming into play at any particular time. Developing these relationships allows for a feeling of safety and trust that will produce larger results then anything else you can imagine.
People Have the Courage to Speaking the Truth
Leadership that believes in their teams with strong relationships then creates a safe environment to talk about the elephant in the room. These are often the hardest conversations to have. If we trust each other enough to say what we are thinking and feeling we can check in on perceptions and clarify what is really going on. If we are honest with ourselves and others, we can stop trying to protect them and help them grow in a way that honors each individual including where they are during challenging changes and help hold a mirror for them to see what is really happening around them.
How alive is your organization? If you feel it is lower than a 7, try to work on one of these pieces to bring the sense of energy and commitment to one another up a few notches. If you are doing this well, please share what you are doing so we can help spread the word to others.