How to Optimise Connection When You're Not Sure Where to Start!

Hi everyone. It’s Maree. Welcome to your Respectful Workplace Insights newsletter with weekly tips for building trust, safety and a thriving inclusive, performance culture.

In last week’s edition we unpacked the 5 levels of engagement for building a 10X TRUST sustainable culture.

In this edition we focus on what it takes to transform your organisation through optimising connectivity at the level of 10X TRUST.

Here’s the thing …

Organisational transformation occurs when people evolve together … deepening trust and getting extraordinary results.

Leaders can deplete the environment by limiting growth through low trust, or they can create the conditions for expanding your culture so everyone can flourish.

The question becomes …

How can you transform engagement and performance by optimising connectivity in an environment of high trust?

Examining existing structures is a great place to start …

Your organisation’s structure is visually represented by your organisational chart (org. chart).

It displays the reporting or relationship hierarchy between all the different groups of people:

• Hierarchical org. charts have a clear chain of command, and communication flows from the top down. This may contribute to extra costs through a slower decision-making process.
• A matrix org. chart has each team member report to a functional manager who oversees most things, while a cross-functional manager supervises the team member on specific projects.
• A divisional organisational structure is divided into different divisions. Each division is responsible for its own operations.
• A flat org. chart is found in startups. To limit bureaucracy, it removes the layers found in a hierarchical chart and gives more autonomy to each team member to make decisions faster.

With a clear overview of your entire organisation, an org. chart is useful for pinpointing exactly where a problem may be arising.

The question then becomes, how do you architect the conversations?

Existing conversations may be a result of the ’machine’ approach to the organisation from the past. Organised as hierarchical, command and control with people set in defined roles as cogs in the machine.

We are navigating complex ecosystems today that require new conversations for the future.

Siobhan McHale in her new book ‘The Hive Mind at Work’ introduces Group Intelligence (GQ).

McHale proposes you need IQ to solve technical problems and EQ in order to be able to relate interpersonally, however they’re not sufficient for the complexity and complex ecosystems we’re navigating in today’s world.

“With organisations as ecosystems, you need to understand the group dynamics and be able to intervene in groups in order to make them adapt, grow and deliver.”

Every organisation is a human ecosystem.

An example …

Manufacturers’ ecosystems include suppliers of raw materials, production teams, logistics providers, distributors, retailers, and customers. Efficient coordination among these elements ensures smooth production and delivery processes.

According to McHale, this requires GQ:

“Group Intelligence:? The ability to generate insights, share ideas, get work done and accelerate change in complex ecosystems.”? - Siobhan McHale?

So what does it take for leaders to understand, intervene in groups to generate insights, share ideas, get work done and accelerate change in complex ecosystems?

There’s no quick fix to this situation … it’s a journey.

My work with Conversational Intelligence? (C-IQ) is the power to elevate our collective intelligence by applying the neuroscience of conversations to business challenges.

It’s the journey of integrating and embodying 7 Clusters of Respect across a culture.

The starting point at the level of organisation, is surfacing signals from your system of work.

What are the disrespectful, unproductive and depleting conversations supporting the underlying tensions within your organisation's ecosystem?

10 Starter Questions to Ask:

1. Do some of your processes get in the way of the work to be done?
2. Is there a lack of transparency so that some difficult conversations are avoided?
3. Are people talking behind others’ backs?
4. Where does your structure inhibit collaboration?
5. Are you leveraging talent across your system?

6. Do you work in silos so that cross-functional relationships are strained?

7. Do you plan and predict (rather than test and learn) due to rigid structures which may restrict experimentation?

8. Are teams cross-functional or cross disciplinary?

9. Is there a lack of accountability and ownership?

10. Is there a misalignment between your strategy and structure?

Navigating the journey to transform your organisation through optimising connectivity at the level of 10X TRUST starts with the first step.

Whenever you’re ready here are 3 ways I can help you build your respectful workplace culture – faster…

1.??Sign up to my LinkedIn Newsletter and receive my tips and insights every week, it's easy - hit the SUBSCRIBE button.

2.?? Find out about our QuickStart CONNECT with R.E.S.P.E.C.T. workshop for your team - book a chat to find out more HERE

3. Speak with me personally and let's map out a plan for your team.

Respectful Workplace Insights is a weekly newsletter I am publishing on LinkedIn to highlight?some of the things that get in the way of creating a respectful workplace culture.

Eliminating disrespectful unproductive and depleting conversations and behaviours that are getting in the way of building respectful alignment and performance is where we start.

Each week I'll offer tips on how to do that so you can create a respectful workplace culture where everyone feels safe and included.

#performance