Thursday's Leadership Insight The Content Leadership Skill of Connection: a C.L.E.A.R. Guide to Enrich Connections With Those You Lead and Serve

We all live in a world that is, in many ways, defined by and dependent on connections. We often think of connection as what powers our phone, laptop, internet, lights, etc. What is it like when the internet connection goes out before the "big" game? Have you ever neglected to "plug "in your phone or laptop before a presentation? Worse yet, as I experienced in my consulting leadership training, I ?once went to a presentation with the laptop plugged in all night only to find the power cord had gone bad. A facility tech team saved the presentation, and so did I. These were all connection issues: no connection, a bad cord. Or a loose connection equals no power or diminished power to operate at peak efficiency. Sometimes, the loss of connection is an unforeseen situation; sometimes, it is due to our lack of vigilance, and sometimes, a bad cord creates a situation that disrupts the connection. They are a parallel issue for leadership, and connection, or the lack of it is a challenge in all human enterprises. A lack of connection equals ineffective relationships, engagement, learning, and less productivity. Connection is a vital part of the human experience. We are hard-wired for connection to be part of something bigger than ourselves, belong, and have positive, productive relationships that serve a purpose.

These connections are not static; they must be built, nurtured, and maintained in all situations, even if they stand out in crisis. The vigilance to keep the power connected is a crucial content skill of leadership. This can be seen in all levels of leadership. Whether a leader of one's family, church, school, local coffee shop, or multinational connection is crucial and sadly in short supply in all these sectors today, they are also seen in human connection. The ability or desire to intentionally build connections is in short supply in all sectors of the economy today.

On the other hand, fully charged and plugged-in devices operate at their peak; this power of connection can be seen in high-performing organizations and is evident in all organizations that establish sustained connection and success. The truth is that leadership does not always understand the connection and the power of intentional connection-building and sustaining. Creating, maintaining, and sustaining connections is a crucial leadership skill. In today's fast-paced business world, the importance of building deep connections in the workplace cannot be overstated. Leaders who choose to build and maintain connections foster strong relationships and interconnectedness within their organizations and create environments of deep connection where employees thrive, innovation flourishes, and outcomes improve.

. Susan S. Freeman, in Why Connection Matters for Leaders , writes, "According to?Wikipedia , the connection is?"a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else."?This directly relates to a fundamental leadership skill:? the ability to connect. Everything a leader does requires a connection. Relationships, vision, strategy, and execution require connection.? Getting things done through people requires connection. Connection with others is the springboard for co-creating results.? Leadership is a choice to build people up and get things done. In other words, leaders must choose to connect intentionally and deeply. One wonders if leaders in many situations understand what connection is and the many layers of connection that they must intentionally address to achieve high performance. It isn't as simple as a plugin: one-time party, dinner, motivational speaker, etc. It is a much deeper, more complex issue and at the root of most, if not all, issues that challenge leadership. Connection is much more than plugging the phone or laptop in. It is like power in the house: the area transformer going out, the satellite cable, or the streaming provider dropping, considering the health of the entire power grid. Research, consulting, and leadership organizations and leaders themselves are very good at calculating the lack of retention. Gallup reports the cost of disengaged and actively disengaged workers. Employees who are not engaged or actively disengaged cost the world $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, according to Gallup's?State of the Global Workplace: 2023?Report . That's equal to 9% of global G.D.P. They cite a lack of relationships between employees and leaders, peers and customers, or a lack of connection on many levels. Gallup reports that the largest growing segment of workers in engagement studies are quiet quitters or actively disengaged workers.

"Engagement is not a characteristic of employees but rather?an experience created by organizations, managers and team members ."

The Gallup global workplace report notes that "Engagement is a strategic advantage. Engaged employees sound like great people. Who wouldn't want more of them? But here's the catch:?Engagement is not a characteristic of employees, but rather?an experience created by organizations, managers, and team members ." Yet we have all this technology at our beckoning call to create connection. Many social scientists report we are the most connected generations yet the most isolated ones. A deeper look at this puzzle about connection requires reconsidering the parallel of technological connection and personal connections." likes, "patched-up servers and emojis don't provide connection. Many say they create anxiety and unrealistic comparisons. The point for leaders to recognize is that a technological connection is needed; however, the crucial factor for leaders is to choose to build meaningful human connections. This is an essential imperative for leadership practice today to build connections to engage their followers and build high-performance cultures that people love to work at. The Harvard Business Review addresses the lack of connection in the workforce in its October? Journal issue, focuses on loneliness, and offers an in-depth look at connection.

Kahlil Smith, Brigid Lynn, and David Rock, in their article, What Employers Get Wrong About How People Connect at Work write ??The push seen to bring people back to the office is a short-sighted approach to building connection because it is a one-dimensional approach to a multidimensional challenge. Humans, in this case, cannot just be plugged in and brought back to the office. The authors write. "Connection in the workplace is commonly considered a single dimension that prioritizes interpersonal relationships with co-workers. However, in a recent research collaboration, the research team at the NeuroLeadership Institute (N.L.I.), along with technology firm Akamai, identified that connection in the workplace is made up of four interrelated and essential dimensions of employee connections with their colleagues, leaders, employer, and role. This more accurate and nuanced view of workplace connections has implications for how organizations can design intentional talent strategies to create workplaces where employees are committed, engaged, and performing." The N.L.I. research further states, "70% of the variance ?in team engagement can be attributed to a manager, making it clear that leader connection is a critical component of the workplace connections conversation. Leaders must develop deeper looks at connections and interconnections to achieve sustainable connection and effectiveness. I have expanded the thought describing the Connection level of aligned action.

This Thursday's leadership insight investigates the role of the leader in intentionally developing deep connections using N.L.I. and Gallup information to guide leaders in building deep connections. The C.L.E.A.R. model will be explained to guide the leader to deeper levels of connections. Like looking beyond the plug-in-the-device approach, this model takes a deeper dive into levels of connection in any organization. I will add thoughts to the great work of N.L.I. and Gallup for illustration. Each dimensionwill be described, plus some practical tips a leader can implement.

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The CL.E.A.R. model is exciting because it is becoming a data-based look at connections. This data will shed light on the power of connection and its relationship to the woes so articulately laid out by Gallup and others. The dimensions of this model are of this model are

C. Connections? with colleagues

This dimension is probably the most basic. Social interaction, interdependence, and connection among workers are crucial to this dimension's connection. By fostering these connections, leaders can significantly boost team performance and morale. An article by Enboarder, "Why is Human Connection important ?" noted that frequent connection led to higher productivity; their data showed that 94% of employees are more productive when they feel connected to their colleagues.

L. Connections with leaders

Connections with direct supervisors, frequent 1:1, and presence have been shown to build strong connections. Asking how an employee is doing first instead of what you are doing and practicing and developing strong communication skills is crucial. This dimension can be addressed based on leader choice. It should be noted that the lack of connection here is the reason Gallup noted for disengagement and quitting. It should also be noted that connections between leaders at various levels can greatly affect organizational connections. Some possible connection strategies include regular meetings among leaders, leadership development training, and mentoring networks.

E . Connections with the Enterprise/Employer

Workers, especially the younger generation, want a connection between their work and the enterprise's values and vision. The aligned connection of workers to the enterprise creates a common bond, a shared story, and a rallying cry to move forward. This dimension of connection helps build the story of the enterprise and the worker's connection to it. Leadership expert Brene Brown writes that connection is vital to organizations, noting that" connection is the energy between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued." This Connection dimension is the key to any organization's success or failure.

"The way to lead people to the future is to deeply connect with them in the present."

Jim Kouzes

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A. Connections based on aligned actions.

This dimension shows how connection is evidenced by the execution, action, and decisions applied by the organization Aligned actions are crucial to building strong connections. This is noted in change or challenge. The methods or practice of connection will change; however, building connections will be a constant for all leaders. Those leaders and organizations that move forward in this time will practice intentional connection. Leadership expert Jim Kouzes, a coauthor of the Leadership Challenge, writes, "The way to lead people to the future is to deeply connect with them in the present. "Possible connection strategies in this dimension include developing and communicating a clear, shared vision. Another strategy is to Create cross-functional teams for major initiatives to communicate and answer questions and concerns by Implementing company-wide communication platforms and hosting regular town halls or all-hands meetings.

?R. Role connection.

Connection in this dimension requires leadership to clearly and continually communicate and evaluate performance aligned to the organization's purpose, mission, and vision. Communication boards provide general information. Recognition in individual 1:1 sessions, company newsletters, and evaluation reviews allows workers to see their part in the aligned connections of the organization.

The C.L.E.A.R. guide describes the five dimensions of connection. All of these connections, when aligned and intentionally reinforced and responded to by leaders, will lead to invested workers, encouraged customers, and supported leaders, especially at the middle levels, who understand we are connected and in this together. Harvard Business School, N.L.I., and Gallup can provide many clues to address the 8.8 trillion dollar disengagement challenge. Consider how the world would look if leaders could intentionally address the dimensions of connection and reduce this number by 10%; what would that mean for our organizations and, more importantly, the people we lead and serve?

The leadership question for you, then, is

1. Are you willing to look beyond the one-dimensional model of connection to understand the five dimensions of C.L.E.A.R. connection

2. Will you choose to implement the C.L.E.A.R. guide to address the five dimensions and deepen the connection with those you serve and lead?

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