My path to specialising in organisational health has not been a direct one. However, the more time I spend with businesses and leaders has affirmed that it is so powerful it should be treated as the north star for all companies. Perhaps even more so now than at any given time.
As we live through unprecedented times, we all understand the value of personal health and the well-being of those around us.
In the same way, parents care and nurture their children or when you care deeply about the well-being of others. Not only do we do good for those around us, but we also boost our sense of self-worth.
We all know, however, that being healthy doesn’t just end here. It also carries on into the workplace by making sure we lead, build, and work in businesses that have healthy environments. Isn’t this notion easy to grasp? Of course, it is! It makes total sense.
It’s not new, and I’m not alone in my wholehearted belief. Like me, Patrick Lencioni has been championing businesses’ need to exercise and cultivate an aptitude for health. He is confident that “organisational health will one day surpass all other business disciplines as the greatest opportunity for improvement and competitive advantage.”
So what does it mean for an organisation to be healthy and what should be our north star? We describe it as the ability to produce exceptional results with integrity while improving lives.
Therefore, those responsible for crafting this type of high-performance state must tackle the things that block and undermine many efforts. So how do you get there?
We have found that there are three main areas where most need to focus carefully.
- Silos – removing all barriers to cohesion
- Synchronisation – connecting only the practices that create value
- Neutered thinking – removing restrictive and imperfectly formed decision making
Not dealing with these effectively interrupts the natural flow and becomes the equivalent of a human aneurysm. As we know, these are recoverable, but we’re never the same, and unfortunately, they are often fatal.
It means that any business that buys into the idea of being healthy must be assertive about success beyond incremental and short-lived results.
My intent with the topic of organisational health is not to convince or convert opinion. I will leave it to those pioneer types who will pave the way for this one day becoming mainstream.
It is for leaders alone to resolve whether they have a cosy relationship with their conscious about their company’s health.
Susan De Fazio, Founder of Be Future Ready Today.
Contact us for more information about how we can accelerate your path towards improving organisational health and our self-enabling toolkits.
