Powerful connections form the heart of an organization. Employees connect with their work, with their leaders, colleagues, team members, and with the prevailing corporate culture.
To create these connections optimally, self-awareness, talent orientation, and open communication are indispensable. In addition, trust and a sense of safety are crucial.
Leaders play a key role in facilitating these connections. They determine that building strong relationships, creating a safe environment, and promoting team cohesion are central.
Connection grows through the otherness of the other: the other is different from me, and precisely what I do not understand about the other makes me curious about him or her. The other, with all their otherness, simultaneously confronts us with our own vulnerability. From this vulnerability, we can truly connect.
Everyone has their own goals, which can vary greatly depending on talents, opportunities, and capabilities. But the essence of happiness lies in connection. Genuine attention in connection, in the sense of being caring and considerate, is the essence of human culture. A society that places too much emphasis on individual success, on the development of boundless individuality, loses its humanity.
Dirk de Wachter
professor, KU Leuven
Encouraging strong connections
Connection with oneself
Self-awareness and recognition of one's talents are important in the connection with who you are and what you want. These are crucial initial steps in promoting a positive well-being.
Connection with work
To positively stimulate well-being, it is important that there is a match between the individual and the tasks, responsibilities, and talents required in the work.
Connection with your supervisor
Attention to the relationship between employee and supervisor has a significant impact on well-being. This is related to the way leadership is implemented. The human touch; empathy and concern for the well-being of the employee are of tremendous importance.
Connection with the team
Attention to the relationship between team members. Factors such as trust and safety play a decisive role in the functioning of a team. A powerful team exhibits high effectiveness and is innovative in its actions and behavior.
Connection with colleagues
Beyond the connection among team members, there are also connections between employees throughout the entire organization. The organizational culture is crucial in this regard. A positive organizational culture contributes to greater effectiveness and innovation.
Connection with the organization
Employees in an organization feel a varying degree of connection to the organization. When this connection is strong, it leads to greater returns and growth.