There are many factors that influence motivation, and the Gallup Institute has developed a Job Satisfaction Questionnaire that highlights six areas researchers consider crucial for building motivation and engagement.

Knowing what I’m supposed to do

A fundamental element of engagement is knowing what needs to be done and having access to the tools required to do it. If we are meant to complete a task, we need a clearly defined goal and a clear path to achieve it.

If you are a leader, you must be aware that the way you communicate tasks directly affects your team’s level of engagement. Employees need to know what they are supposed to do and why they are doing it.

What threatens motivation in this area are not only poorly defined goals and tasks or misunderstandings caused by differences in context.

If you frequently change decisions and ask employees to interrupt tasks they’ve already started, it can lead to a drop in motivation and a belief that it’s not worth putting in effort – because everything will change again soon anyway. Of course, sometimes a shifting reality requires sudden decisions, but in such cases it is essential to clearly

explain the change and show the broader context. Understanding helps maintain a sense of purpose.

Competence

Each of us has a fairly clear sense of our own skills and a need for those skills to be used appropriately. Sometimes we all need to do something simple and basic, but if we spend most of our time performing tasks far below our level of competence, our engagement weakens. We begin to feel undervalued and unnecessary. We develop a sense that our manager does not recognize our value or potential. We feel deprived of growth opportunities.

A leader must therefore be able to recognize employees’ competence levels and their developmental ambitions. Assigning tasks that are below someone’s capabilities becomes a threat to their motivation, engagement, and self-worth.

Sense of purpose

Closely tied to proper use of competence is the sense of meaning in one’s work. This is one of the most important factors influencing motivation and engagement. Practically everyone I speak with, when asked what matters most in their work, points to the sense of purpose and the certainty that their tasks serve a meaningful goal.

If a leader does not take the time to show employees the bigger picture and the direction the team is heading, they cannot expect real engagement or lasting motivation.

The sense of purpose is especially threatened when tasks are frequently changed due to constantly shifting priorities. This creates uncertainty about whether a task will even be completed. That uncertainty leads people to invest less energy, anticipating yet another sudden change.

Collaboration

Another area that can weaken motivation and engagement is collaboration – or more precisely, the lack of it. Some years ago, it was believed that competition, paired with the promise of reward, drives people to work harder. However, both experience and research show something different. People prefer to work when they have intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic rewards, and in the long term, teams that prioritize collaboration perform better. Of course, there are specific scenarios where competition works and shouldn’t be completely abandoned.

In most cases, however, collaboration based on mutual trust and support – without judgment – is what matters. This environment encourages people to share knowledge and insights, creating synergy and producing better results than the sum of individual efforts.

If a leader fails to foster an atmosphere of trust and does not create space for safe communication within the team, engagement will slowly leak out, motivation will drop, and the situation will be difficult to repair. Not to mention pathological behaviors like mobbing, which make engagement impossible and destroy any motivation to work at all.

Feedback

When I talk about collaboration without judgment, many people push back. “How can you work without judging? Employees need to know what they’re doing right or wrong and what is expected of them.” And that’s true – but it has very little in common with the

traditional kind of evaluation we’re used to from school. And that’s where the biggest challenge with constructive feedback lies.

The school-style evaluation is neither helpful information nor support, nor does it have motivating value. It mainly enables comparison, which – as we know – rarely inspires more effort. In most cases, it is discouraging. Being judged makes people less willing to ask questions or reveal their limitations. Instead, they tend to pretend everything is fine. This emotional effort consumes energy and reduces engagement in actual tasks.

So how do you give feedback without demotivating? I’ve written about this many times, and I surely will again, because it remains a key question.

Growth

Gallup experts argue that growth is equally important for engagement and motivation.

Today, business owners and executives understand that people are the company’s most valuable asset – and this is no longer an empty slogan. Younger generations in particular emphasize that opportunities for growth matter to them, and they prefer “training in the job,” which produces the greatest progress in developing new skills.

If an employee feels stuck, bored, and lacking challenges, their engagement will inevitably decline, and they will not feel motivated to exert extra effort.

This has been a broadly outlined list of pitfalls. You can now work with your coach to analyze your team’s situation and identify individual, specific ways to avoid these pitfalls and create an environment where engagement and motivation have room to grow.

The post What drains motivation and engagement? appeared first on ConnectPoint.

“I must” is a source of helplessness 

At first glance, it seems to be an objective statement of fact. However, if we reflect on it for a moment, it turns out to be merely a mental shortcut. One that is dangerous precisely because when we use it, we automatically put ourselves in the position of someone who lacks agency—enslaved and forced to live life in a specific way. This is both burdensome and frustrating. 

Martin Seligman, the American psychologist who studied the concept of personal agency, points out that the lack of it is the root of the learned helplessness syndrome. This is a state in which we lack motivation to act and, in extreme cases, experience complete resignation. 

Language determines how we perceive reality 

Let’s try replacing “I must” with “I choose to”, and suddenly, our perspective shifts. We begin to realise that, in fact, we could choose something else, but for some reason our subconscious presented us with this option. We see that the alternative also comes with its constraints and drawbacks. In this way, we start to consciously examine the possibilities and limitations. From there, it’s only a small step towards making a deliberate choice. 

Occasionally, it turns out that our subconscious decided what was best for us at that moment. Changing to something else—which may initially seem more beneficial—can, at times, be too difficult. It might carry too many costs, unwanted consequences, or we simply may not be ready yet. However, making a conscious decision is liberating and keeps the door open to other options. 

“I must” disconnects us from our needs 

At times, a whole range of possibilities opens up before us—possibilities we never considered because we were paralysed by one habitual word: “I must”. 

In some cases, we can go even further and replace “I must” with “I want to”. 

That word may be more difficult, as it is culturally stigmatised. At school, at home, throughout our upbringing and education, we often hear: “It doesn’t matter what you want; it has to be done this way.” And so we unlearn using the word “I want”. As a result, we stop thinking about what we want and what we don’t. We cease to name or express our needs; eventually, we stop noticing them altogether and satisfy them less and less frequently. Frustration and deprivation grow within us—and those are not helpful emotions. 

It’s clear that one small word in our language can cause quite a mess. It can be a source of feeling trapped and lacking energy. But a seemingly minor change can restore, at least partly, a sense of control over our lives. 

This isn’t about going to extremes and believing that we have total control over everything that happens to us or that we are responsible for everything. Rather, it’s about something expressed in that well-known prayer: “God, grant me the strength to change what I can change, the serenity to accept what I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 

Let’s learn to tell the difference—but without imposing extra limitations on ourselves. There’s always a good moment to practise and consciously observe how we speak about our lives. Catch yourself saying “I must” and, where possible, replace it with “I choose to”—or perhaps even “I want to”. 

See what happens. It could be interesting. 

The post How “I must” or “I can’t” blocks our lives and saps our motivation  appeared first on ConnectPoint.

GROW WITH US

Training
Our stable working environment makes it easy to improve your skills continuously. The development of our employees’ potential is extremely important to us, which is why we support them in improving both their technical and soft skills. We subsidise courses, training and certificates.
Cooperation with our partners allows us to be up-to-date with industry trends and provides access to the latest training courses. It is worth noting that, as a company, we always help find suitable training options adjusted to the needs of a particular person. We also offer foreign language lessons taught by a professional language school.

Professional self-development
We know how important it is to advance at work, but we do not always find time to implement learning plans effectively. At ConnectPoint, we decided to change that, and in addition to standard training, we introduced a professional self-development program. The program allows to broaden competencies and diversify daily work on projects. We allocate additional 20 days per year for the programme, independent from holidays.

Knowledge exchange
We focus on teamwork, the exchange of knowledge and support in solving problems. We ensure this through thematic guilds, which enable the exchange of experience in using a given technology or the discussion of project topics. We share our knowledge inside and outside the company: Our employees take part in podcast recordings, prepare articles and summarise self-development activities, which we publish, among others, on our blog and in the newsletter.

LOOK AFTER YOUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Mental health
We consciously cultivate an employee-friendly environment. We know how important mental health is. Therefore, we have a coach and a psychologist working with us permanently. As a responsible employer, we support our employees in challenges in their professional and private lives. Together with the psychologist, we organise individual personal development workshops, group training on communication, and non-compulsory weekly mindfulness classes.

Medical care and life insurance
We realise that health is important, so we provide employees with a comprehensive medical care package and private life insurance.

Sports
Sport is an essential part of life for our employees. With this in mind, we provide an extended variant of the sports card, allowing access to over 4,000 facilities. We have a company running team that constantly grows and participates in organised sporting events. The various internal sporting events are also worth mentioning, such as the “Mundial”, a table football tournament.

COMFORT AT WORK

Stationary and remote work
We are different, so we provide the opportunity to work in the mode preferred by the employee – stationery in our well-equipped office, hybrid or completely remote. No matter where you choose to work, we always provide you with professional hardware adapted to your department’s needs, position, and project. All our offices are well connected. In our headquarters in Warsaw, free parking spaces are available.

Dress code and organisational culture
For us, it is natural that we all call each other by our first names, and the dress code only applies to meetings with clients. Both experienced people and those taking their first steps in their professional careers will find a supportive and family atmosphere in the team from the very first moments. We respect each other and appreciate diversity.

Flexibility and work-life balance
By opting for a flexible working model, we can effectively take care of the work-life balance of our employees. Everyone has their habits and responsibilities – both professional and private. For this reason, we let you determine your working hours individually.

A clearly defined and flat structure
In our structure, each technical team is headed by a leader. All of us can count on direct contact with the Board. A clearly defined structure allows us the freedom to raise ideas and organise brainstorming sessions. It also reduces paperwork and guarantees fast action on the most critical issues.

CHOOSE A GOOD ATMOSPHERE AND A SOLID TEAM

Integration events and meetings
Meetings on kayaks or spontaneous team outings are not strange to us. Our project teams have additional integration budgets, which allow them to get to know each other even better on a non-work basis. We do not give up on face-to-face meetings even when most of us work remotely. We regularly organise company events and meetings, as good team relations are essential at work.

Employee referral programme
Most of our recruitment processes result in the hiring of the right people thanks to our employee referral programme. Employees are pleased to recommend their colleagues who have the required competencies. When a newly hired person works at ConnectPoint for a minimum of three months, the employee who recommended them receives a cash bonus.

Each of us is unique, and as a result, each of us needs something different at various points in our lives. At ConnectPoint, we are committed to ensuring that the perks and benefits we offer change with us to continually meet the needs of our employees. I encourage you to check out our current job openings if that sounds interesting. I hope we will have the opportunity to talk ?

The post Benefits of working in ConnectPoint appeared first on ConnectPoint.

This year, Damian, who is responsible for HR, prepared even more fantastic activities for employees and their families designed for all ages. We had fun together at:

• Kayaking
• Paintball
• Waterboarding
• Beach volleyball
• Barbecue and later bonfire

Why, at ConnectPoint, do we invite employees’ families to join us for social events? In our organisational culture, it is essential to give employees space for their private lives and support them in building their life-work balance. We ensure this through, among other things, flexible working hours and the support of a psychologist at work Such events are one more of the activities that make up our organisational culture.

The post Employees & Families get-together kayaking trip 2022 appeared first on ConnectPoint.

This year for the first time, ConnectPoint put up their team to participate in a regatta organized by the Society for Sport and Tourism of Oil and Gas “Sportgas” on Zegrzyński Lagoon. Our team showed everyone that they have extensive competence, which allowed them to win second place in the regatta and beat ten other teams.

Our team skipper Jacek Szostakiewicz prepared the first-hand relation.

2 days of competition and fight against the weather

The regatta participants for the cup of the President of PGNIG Termika struggled not only with their opponents but also with challenging weather conditions on the Zegrzyński Lagoon. There was a very strong wind and heavy rain during the whole event. Our crew was not discouraged by the conditions and enthusiastically completed the tasks.

The organizers took care of the safety of the competition, so they decided to hold the races in a sheltered part of the lake. They also imposed an obligation to reef the sails. The route was shortened and adapted to the conditions on an ongoing basis – only four races were held.

The competition was held in the spirit of fierce sporting rivalry. There were 12 crews on the start line, and only 10 finished. The fight was intense in each race round from the start to the finish line. Additionally, changing the wind’s strength and direction changes required us to maintain alertness throughout the race.

ConnectPoint crew did very bravely and fought to the end in every race. In the end, we finished the races in 1st,3rd,5th and 3rd places. Taking into account the traditional discard of the worst result, we achieved a final score of 7 points.

This result guaranteed us a spot on the podium, 2nd place, to be precise. The winning team scored the exact number of points. We collected the prize for the second place from the hands of a representative of the Management Board of PGNIG Termika.

With great enthusiasm, we are planning to participate in the next regatta cycle event organized by Sportgas.

New sports section in ConnectPoint

This race is a fantastic start for the sailing section at ConnectPoint! Congratulations to the whole team.

You can read a detailed account of the event in Polish on the Sportgas website.

The post ConnectPoint won 2nd place in the Sportgas Sailing Cup 2022 for the PGNiG TERMIKA Chairman’s Cup appeared first on ConnectPoint.

Personal development is like leaving paradise. You will never know peace again.

At first, it seems that once you have dealt with one issue, all that awaits you afterwards is peace and relaxation. And then it turns out that underneath it, there is another one. So you start to deal with this next one, and after some time, you know that there will be another one and another one behind it. And so it will always be because the more you develop your consciousness, the more you know that there is still a universe to discover and understand inside you.

Sometimes you are fed up. What do I need this for, you think? I’ll sit quietly in a corner and stare blankly at the TV. Sometimes you even do that, but after a while, you know that you won’t be able to do it for long. And you return to this path of laboriously discovering your depths, asking questions and looking for answers. You know that it is worth it, although sometimes it is difficult. And you know, or at least you sense, that you will never turn back from this road. Sometimes you allow yourself a longer moment of rest, a break in the journey. And then you come back because you need it. This hardship and effort allow you to see the world differently, more broadly. They allow you to taste every moment of life more fully.

When you start to ask yourself: what is important to you, what do you need, what do you long for, you begin to understand that a lot of this life baggage you are carrying does not belong to you. You took it with you because you got it at the beginning of your journey. You needed it then, but now it is just ballast and clutter. Now, when you stand firmly on your own two feet, you can decide what serves you and what does not. You set your own values and look for ways to realise them your way in life.

And suddenly, you notice that life has a different flavour for you, that it pleases you more and seems a little more bearable.

But to get this, you have to take the trouble to ask yourself the hard questions and laboriously search for answers that are true to you and not necessarily in line with what your friends or loved ones expect.

Personal development starts with a question: do I want to live my life according to other people’s expectations, or do I want to go my own way? However you answer this question, it will still be your choice. After all, that is the point: make your own choices in life, even if they seem strange or unwise to others. As long as you make your own decisions, you have a sense of empowerment, which keeps you feeling meaningful.

This journey is not easy, so it is worth having a companion by your side, one who will follow you half a step at a time, supporting and encouraging you when the doubt settles in. One who will remind you of how much you’ve achieved when your mind tries to question the meaning of what you’ve gained. One who will not be frightened by your complaining and sadness and who will share your joy.

If you are going on this journey, look for someone like that. Sometimes it can be a partner or a friend, but beware, they will not always have the strength to bear your emotions. If you feel it’s taking too much toll on them, look for someone professionally trained to support you: a coach, psychologist, or therapist. And with your loved ones, share only what they can bear.

Explaining personal development at work

Until recently, we tried to separate our professional and private lives. Now we look at it more holistically and understand that work is simply one of the areas in which we fulfil ourselves. This perspective means that any place is an excellent place to grow, as its benefits impact every aspect of our lives.

The more self-aware we are, the better we manage our emotions. This skill allows us to cope better with conflict, stress and pressure. We collaborate more easily, understand others better and build deeper relationships on this empathic understanding. All this translates into results at work: ours and the whole teams we work in.

Besides, if we have already started doing something in the area of self-development, this process is happening at any time and any place. You can’t turn it off, and you take every opportunity to add another brick.

Employers are increasingly aware that caring for employees is now more about supporting their development and a sense of purpose than about adding more benefits. Hence, more and more often in companies, people and programmes support professional and personal development.

It does not matter where you find inspiration, but whether you want to use it. And that is your choice.

The post Personal development – on the road to a fuller life appeared first on ConnectPoint.

Many texts and studies are being written on the subject, in which management theorists and practitioners point out pitfalls, risks and possible solutions. These visions have in common that nurturing a sense of community is fundamental and most important in managing a distributed team.

Some call this identification with the company. But what exactly is this company that I am supposed to identify with? I always recall one manager who used to say that it’s not the company that solves problems. It’s the people. There is no such thing as a company. There are the people who make it up: people that we like or dislike, form bonds, cooperate or compete with.

So I prefer to talk about building bonds and a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is one of the basic human needs we satisfy in relationships. It is also strongly linked to the need for security. Being embedded in a group makes us feel safer, more mentally resilient and more eager.

So how do we take care of the feeling of belonging in a team in a situation of remote work?

Let’s start by thinking about what built a sense of belonging before the pandemic ruined our routines. These were very small and sometimes seemingly insignificant things: a good morning smile, a few sentences exchanged while waiting for coffee in the company kitchen, a short conversation when we took our eyes off the monitor for a moment. These brief moments meant that we exchanged information in passing. And this allowed us to know what the people in my team were doing, what they liked, how they spent their last evening, where they were going on holiday. These are things that build bonds and a sense of belonging.

How do we create a space to share such information when we work remotely?
There are different ideas, and each team needs to find the one that works best for them. Some may arrange to meet in real life once a week or every other week. This is obviously not possible for everyone.

Many teams have a practice of starting the day with a short meeting where everyone says what they will be working on today, what they managed to close yesterday and what still needs to be done. And it’s not about daily project teams. It’s about exchanging very general information in a team where people from different projects come together. Such meetings give the feeling that we are starting to work with the whole team. Co-workers wake up and gather their energy, and some face tasks that could not be closed yesterday. It’s a very supportive experience that impacts us even though we don’t even think about it.

I have also encountered the practice of meeting at the end of the week or the end of the day for a general review, but also a looser chat before the weekend. Contrary to fears, people are happy to call in for such meetings and sometimes even spontaneously extend them for casual conversations.

In a scattered team situation, you have to take more care with the emotions in the team. They are harder to spot and harder to react to immediately. However, it is not worth giving in to the temptation to ignore them when something happened a few days ago, and we pretend that it resolved itself. Even if the issue has died down, the unresolved matter will come back and make a mess again. This is why it is vital for a leader to be attentive to conflicts and help resolve them.

When working remotely, it is essential how we communicate. We use instant messaging, which allows us to send information to the whole team. But the truth about us humans is that if something is to everyone, it is to no one. So-called diffusion of responsibility affects us all, so it’s crucial that the information you’re supposed to communicate in some situations is personalised – sent to a specific person with a headline just for that person. Particularly pay attention to this if it involves an invitation to an event. Ensure that the information has reached everyone and that everyone has understood it well.

Ensure that everyone can benefit from the development programme. It is not enough to announce it. Make sure everyone understands what it is and who is entitled to it. Talk to everyone about what ideas they have for using the training days for themselves, help them understand what they need in their job and how to reach for it.

Set boundaries. We all need boundaries to feel secure in our lives, to know what is within our competence and responsibilities and what is no longer. This sense of certainty is one of the important aspects of commitment. And commitment is built on clearly drawn boundaries.

Communicate clearly what the rules of cooperation in the team are. Point out behaviours that are not acceptable and assertively communicate expectations. This will not always meet with full approval, and you can expect complaints and dissatisfaction. However, if these rules are well thought out and are for good collaboration, be a guardian of them, as they will ultimately give a sense of clarity that helps us all.

And finally, ensure understanding. Try to present the team with a broader vision where they can see what the work they are doing is for, what bigger picture it is embedded in, and how it fits into the company’s goals. Understanding makes us engage differently with tasks and value what we do differently. There is an excellent comparison: If you tell a man to split stones, he will do it and think it is hard work, but if you tell him that the stones he is splitting are for building a temple, he may see a different value in it. Show your people what kind of temples they are building: help them find more meaning in what they are doing.

The post Distributed Team Management appeared first on ConnectPoint.

In the age of the pandemic, more and more people are working remotely. I assume we already know how important it is to conduct online meetings with the camera on. I’ve said many times how much information is lost when we can’t see each other and how this can hinder communication.

But there is another aspect that is worth paying attention to. How we position the camera is not insignificant. And it’s not about presenting your better profile. It’s about the message sent to the other person’s subconscious mind through the positioning of our body.

Suppose I position the camera to present me in a standard straight shot at the height of the recipient’s eyes. This is the most natural position of conversation with an open addressee. However, suppose I position the camera on the side (because for various technical reasons this is more convenient). In that case, I look at the other person’s image straight ahead, but what the other person sees is the person turned to the side. The subconscious of the person looking receives the message: “I am positioning myself sideways to you, to what you are saying and proposing”. And although I may not have this intention, subconsciously, my partner may feel uneasy or even irritated, perceiving the signal of distrust or negation that comes from such an attitude.

If I position the camera to film me slightly from below, I look down at my partner. This body positioning can subconsciously trigger a competitive response, a need to negate what I am saying and to push my point. All because the subconscious mind gets the signal: “this person is superior, he thinks he is better”.

Do you think it does not matter so much? Do an experiment. Ask a friend to help you and tell you a story while standing to your side and not looking at you. Check how you felt about it. Did you want to continue the conversation?

The same is true if the other person doesn’t make eye contact, just looks at the phone or the screen of some device. He may assure us that he is listening. Still, our subconscious mind receives the message: “it is not important to me what you say”, or worse: “you are not important to me”, and we stop feeling like speaking or explaining, even if we were just bursting with enthusiasm.

We have to be aware that our body sends signals to the subconscious mind of the recipient. Sometimes it reveals what we don’t want to show, and sometimes it adopts a habitual posture that can create a false impression.

Try to observe how you judge what people say depending on how their body is arranged. Are you more likely to trust the professionalism of someone who stands upright, in a natural, relaxed pose and speaks with a calm but firm voice, or someone who hunches their shoulders, bows their head and mumbles under their breath?

This is an exaggerated image, but we send out much more subtle signals every moment. That’s why I encourage you to observe yourself as part of your self-discovery. Please take a moment each day when it occurs to you, and see how your body is arranged. Think about what it wants to communicate. You can go a step further and consciously take care of your posture when you want to convey something to another person or reinforce a message, e.g., your interest, empathy, and professionalism.

Beware if you are tempted to use this tool manipulatively and through body posture convey something that is not true. It’s not that simple. Our subconscious minds are very sensitive to such dissonance and pick it up quickly. That’s probably why the body language trend passed so quickly.

However, it is certainly worth thinking consciously about what I show with my body. If I use it carefully, I can avoid pitfalls and misunderstandings in communication (at least some of them).

The post Body language like a foreign language appeared first on ConnectPoint.

Recently, the phrase Teal organisation has become increasingly common in the literature on organisational performance. This term is taken from the work of Ken Wilber, who depicts the stages of development of social consciousness in a spiral model and labels them with colours. At different stages of consciousness development, different paradigms emerge visibly in the actions of individuals, social mentality and organisations.

And so humanity and its organisations are moving from Amber organisations characterised by feudal structures, through Orange organisations focused on achieving goals, to Green organisations that emphasise the individual approach to the employee and see the employee as an individual. For some time now, we can spot signals of the coming of the next stage in the development of social consciousness. It is the Teal level and the Teal management paradigm.

This stage is characterised by moving away from traditional management based on rigid structures and unchanging roles. Instead, it is about flattening, eliminating successive levels of management, and emphasising self-organising teams. Some elements of this paradigm have already found their place, for example, in the scrum approach to projects.

If you would like to read a bit more on this subject, I refer you to the book “Reinventing Organisations” by Frederic Laloux. In the first chapter, the author extensively describes and compares the various stages of the development of awareness and management paradigms.

Learned Helplessness is born in Orange

Why would self-organised teams be better and more effective? For the simple reason: If people feel they have a direct impact on the result, they are more engaged and motivated to take action, achieve the goal and solve the problems they encounter.

This motivation probably has to do with a sense of empowerment versus learned helplessness. Learned helplessness is a phenomenon observed many years ago by Seligman, an American psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. It consists of the fact that if we experience for a long time that our actions do not influence what happens, we fall into a state of helplessness, apathy and resignation at a certain point. We do not take any action, even if circumstances change and our efforts can be effective.

In large organisations, organised in a multi-level structure, a lack of ownership is often experienced, and decisions are moved far away from the place of influence. Therefore, flattening the structure allows the employee to get closer to where decisions are made, goals planned and the actions needed to achieve them. Allowing this process to occur gives employees a sense of empowerment and ownership of the problem, increasing engagement and resulting in better performance.

Repaint for Teal

Of course, moving to a Teal paradigm is not that simple. It is not enough to gather a team and tell them to self-organise now. This change requires proper preparation, transfer of relevant knowledge and training, and support in difficult moments. Nevertheless, one can be inspired by the paradigm and try to look at the organisation differently.

Our company is not a Teal organisation, but undoubtedly this paradigm influences how we think about structure here. There was no structure for a long time, and everything was based on direct relationships. In fact, it worked just like in the Teal paradigm. Everyone had access to every piece of information, took an almost direct part in decision-making and felt that their actions affected the results. This was possible because of a small group and direct relationships. However, when the firm grew to 50 people, it became clear that this form of working was not sustainable. It became clear that a structure was needed. In Teal companies (several already operating successfully), self-organised teams consist of 15 to 30 people. It is a phenomenon known in psychology and sociology that a group of more than 20 people begins to lose direct communication and inevitably breaks up into smaller subgroups.

Teal slightly blue

Our company has developed its model. We have created teams that are, in a way, competence centres, but they are also organised around specific tasks. Each team has its leader, who comes from the group and has technical competencies. The leader also has to have considerable soft skills and can support his team in communication within the team, between other teams and with clients. The leader is also the link between teams and supports solving problems and tasks that arise at their interface (e.g. a project that requires cooperation) and between the management and the team. With personal soft skills, the leader can support team members to take the initiative and solve problems themselves.

The role of the leader here is not understood as in the Orange paradigm, where the leader manages, plans, makes decisions and delegates them down the structure. In our company, it’s more like a leader with a shade of teal. Leaders role is to organise the team’s activities in a way that triggers collaboration, creativity and to bring out the best in the team. Their job is to give team members the chance to get involved at every stage and take on roles in the team for which they feel ready and can use their strengths. A leader is more like a facilitator and catalyst of processes than a manager.

Within the teams, there are several smaller groups assigned to projects, which results in some people acting as sub-leaders for the duration of a particular task. This division gives each staff member the chance to draw on their strengths and bring what is most beneficial at any given time. However, these roles are not rigidly assigned. They arise naturally in response to demands from the team’s task. The roles can change if the team concludes that this will be more beneficial to achieving the set goal. As you can see, the structure created at ConnectPoint is not what is usually understood by the term ‘structure’. It is more of a network of connections and interactions to facilitate collaboration and communication to achieve goals.

One of the essential things in the Teal paradigm is mindfulness, which allows you to notice changes and react to them flexibly. With this attentiveness, a new structure is now forming. It will probably evolve further to reach the best solution for working with a sense of purpose and achieving satisfying goals.

The post Teal Paradigm inspired Company Structure appeared first on ConnectPoint.