Across industries and geographies, ask executives to identify their top assets and you’ll come up with two common answers: people and information. No matter what else you may be facing, having these assets in abundance is key to success in a competitive marketplace.
It’s why forward-looking organizations are turning to non-traditional partners, more Brené Brown than McKinsey.
Increasing evidence suggests that organizations that lean into uncomfortable, messy, human aspects tend to outperform their peers. By a lot. Especially in industries where creativity and innovation are lifeblood.
Yet most organizations are still trying to wrap their heads around how to address systemic inequalities like racism and sexism. They’re flying by the seat of their pants to survive the unique challenges of being in business in 2025.
It might be helpful to consider that we often operate from a place of not wanting to know.
Knowing what is going on in the hearts of your employees often feels risky:
Didn't we spend considerable time and money to keep a lid on inappropreate behavior in the office?
Are we asking our employees to do more than even we believe is reasonable?
What would I even do with more eyeline into interpersonal workplace dynamics?
Isn't it reasonable to just expect people to show up to work and do their jobs?
We throw hundreds of unique human beings into the process of making a movie, running a school, or developing a vaccine.
Creating thousands of contact points. In some companies it is thousands per second.
Each an opportunity for two or more to share some kind of connection, to achieve a true meeting of the minds.
Inside each touch point, each person is entering with their willingness to be present and fully available, which is largely determined by their emotional state.
Where fear is a dominant emotion, there is less availability for connection. Less space for creativity to circulate. Less fertile ground for innovation.
What is going on within and between these relational touch points inside your organization?
The New York Times is reported to have conducted an internal poll that revealed that about half of their employees did not believe that "there is a free exchange of views in this company; people are not afraid to say what they really think.” Put simply, half reported they didn’t feel a basic sense of trust.
Again: half.
Consider that at a prestigious global newspaper, a large percentage of human-to-human contact occurred where at least one person didn't feel that they could show up as they were.
Is there any space in our imagination where we think that it isn't a huge cost to both the company and the staff?
What about your organizational awareness?
If you imagine your company as an organism, what nerves are misfiring? Is it a little off, here and there? Is it half-numb to itself?
Do you know?
More importantly, are you willing to find out?
High impact leaders who are willing to see beyond the status quo partner with Cjaer to create innovative and sustainable systems.
