It’s not always necessary to know why something works, just that it does. In 1988, I got the opportunity to serve in my first management position. It was also an opportunity to demonstrate that in certain environments, people will exceed expectations. I am eternally grateful to Saundra, Kelly, Joe, Shelley, David and Sharon for playing in the creative world of an idealistic, inexperienced manager.
Back then, I instinctively knew that the people in my department were intelligent, talented, focused and driven. All they needed was an opportunity to flourish. Therefore, my role was to remove obstacles or toxicity from the environment. There was no training or policy to support this theory. It just seemed to be the most logical role for me. What else was I to do after I recognized that the people on my team could do the work faster and with better quality than I could? This approach of removing obstacles provided me with incredible experiences and payoffs throughout my management career. It’s also the foundation of my work today. On many occasions, my peers would ask me how I was able to maintain such high performing teams. According to them, I always had the best people, with the best attitudes doing difficult work. Also, according to them, I was lucky to never have employee issues. While I admit to being lucky, there were plenty of issues to work through. I guess our way of operating, made these issues transparent to people on the outside looking in. “I pay attention to my instincts, communicate clear vision and get out of their way”, was my generic answer. Honestly, I didn’t really know how to articulate what I was doing. I just know I was being true to myself and true to the people who made a commitment to work on our team. It wasn’t until after I completed my last management assignment that I was introduced to the language that clearly describes what I was attempting. In 2003, I was introduced to the Genuine Contact Program and with that, I realized that making genuine contact with others and myself is what I have been trying to do my entire career.
I believe that many people have been conditioned to check parts of who they are at the door when they enter the work environment. The problem with this, is the part that is checked at the door, might be the most creative part. It might be the part that has a life changing idea ready to be unleashed. The part of oneself that is outside the door might be the part that saves a life or develops a $500M idea. So today, as a Genuine Contact co-owner and practitioner, I can articulate the following values and beliefs that guide our interactions with people:
1. We believe that spirit (or Spirit) matters, that through spirit (or Spirit), all of creation is connected, and that people are precious. Our experience is that strategies based on these values have exciting, tangible results.
2. We believe that every organism (including the organization) has within it the blueprint for its own optimal health and balance. We trust the people in the organization to know what is needed for optimal effectiveness. Building on the strengths within the organization is a key to optimal effectiveness. Sometimes individuals and organizations are toxic and through toxicity cannot access their blueprint for their optimal health and balance. Toxicity is a barrier to optimal effectiveness that can be broken through when individuals and organizations attend to their balance, cleansing, and nourishing to nurture their life force.
3. We believe that focusing on genuine contact enables individuals and organizations to achieve the individual and organizational health and balance that is needed for optimal effectiveness. Positive change in the organization is directly linked to positive change in individuals. Both are required for sustainable new ways of working.
4. We believe in keeping it simple. Simple frameworks and processes enable success with complex situations. In keeping it simple, we recognize that any sustainable change must begin from the inside and cannot be externally initiated or driven.
5. We believe that change with its accompanying loss, grief work, and conflict is constant. Organizations that develop mastery in working with change can sustain optimal effectiveness. These leaders and organizations recognize that change cannot be managed, that energy spent trying to manage change is wasted energy, and that productive use of individual and organizational energy is achieved by working with change rather than against it.
Now, based on your current and past experiences, wouldn’t you be extremely motivated to dedicate yourself to work where everyone is attempting to make genuine contact?
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