'Relationships are like bridges, the stronger they are the weightier the message that is able to travel safely over them...'

Check out my latest article in the Business Section of 'The Yorkshire Times', my local online newspaper 

http://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Relationships-Are-Like-Bridges

I love what Jo Ann Sweeney says about “natural communicators, resistors and the bulging middle” http://www.commsabilities.com/blog.asp In her experience she would say that just 10% of leaders are natural communicators; those who “have a passion for people, are respected by their peers and direct reports, know how to build rapport, listen with empathy, engage and motivate”. 

I concur completely with this and would like to build on it, suggesting that this 10% rule also applies across the entire organisation.   These communicators or ‘connectors’ have what I would describe as a ‘relational radar’. This inbuilt ability enables them to observe and interpret the relational dynamics of organisational life.   They naturally seem to be able to grasp how to build relationship with all types of people, whether they are those who may attempt to block things or those who may be catalysts for change. 

I have often reflected on the effect of for example placing Employee Communications under HR, Internal Communications under Marketing or perhaps Knowledge Management under IT.  From experience I would suggest that the function of communications takes on the persona or culture of the department under which it sits.  So in my example Employee Communications is dominated by information ‘needed’ by staff, Internal Communications plays second fiddle to external communications (in budget allocation and size of team) and Knowledge Management focuses on technology.

The issue of where communications should sit has been debated, without conclusion, for decades.  I would like to consider the synergistic effect of connecting the connectors.  Looking at how those who are naturally gifted in communications, networking and relationship building can be connected to help with the facilitation of Internal Communications. 

I would suggest there is great potential in a network of communicators rather than a team under a department. 

Just a thought…

Whilst staying in Anglesey, for a gloriously sunny bank holiday weekend, I was amused by what I found in the cupboard.

It made me wonder why the instruction had not been heeded.  Was it because people do not like being told what to do?  Was it because someone ignored it and everyone after that just followed suit; "if it was alright for them then it is alright for me". Was it just apathy?

The shelf needed to be kept empty because if it was piled high it was in danger of breaking.  

How many times does this happen in the organisations where we work and how often is that directly related to how these things are actually communicated?

How many people do you know who have this 'Relational Radar' inbuilt?

That insightful ability to survey the organisational horizon and just know!  They can see  the people who will be catalysts and those who will tend to be blockers.

They instinctively know how to develop those relationships and connect them to orchestrate a relational infrastructure that is conducive to collaborative working.

These people are critical.  They may be in any role at any level.  Finding them, connecting them and tapping in to those bridge-building skills will help to change the atmosphere of any organisation and ultimately its productivity.