What do neural connections and healthy organizations have in common? And what can we learn from how healthy cells interact with each other and use that information to improve the quality of organizations today?
Getting to the next level of greatness essentially comes down to better relationships, which depends on the quality of conversations within a company.
Taking a look at how conversational intelligence is influencing how well companies do, we see that weak organizations don’t have a clear vision. They lose their awareness and the ability to give meaningful feedback. Dialogue between executives and employees is rare.
Meanwhile, in thriving companies, there is active communication and connection. People navigate, engage and create roadmaps to achieve the company’s goals. They’re in dialogue to constantly improve and focus on growth.
Bringing connection to the workplace and inspiring people to open up, share ideas and solutions determines the amount of oxytocin that is released in the brain. Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that is produced when we’re bonding with and trusting others. On the other hand, cortisol is produced when we experience fear, feel judged or dictated. Cortisol makes people close up and pull back — it creates separation.
Here are three powerful ways to increase oxytocin and reduce cortisol in order to create powerful organizations and build connection:
1. Introduce dialogue.
Unlike commanding and dictating a team, creating a dialogue between executives and workers is extremely important to elevating oxytocin. When people not only feel listened to but are also asked to speak up and take responsibility for solving a problem, they start co-creating, getting involved and become inspired to find a solution.
2. Encourage co-creating.
To navigate, communicate and co-create is to give employees a challenge to solve as a team instead of involving executives. This approach helps in moving their perspective from “I” to “we” and lifts the team and each leader to a completely different level.
3. Replace expectation with aspiration.
The intention with aspiring is to bond, focus on the future and let go of being right. Replacing expectation with aspiration is to actively create the future. It leaves space for creativity and for people to solve problems in the most effective way for them.
Active communication is essential to the success of an organization. The human need to connect and feel understood is the foundation we have to build upon if we want teams to thrive.
This Article has previously been featured on Forbes