How to Make the Most out of Your Core Group

Within each organization is a core group that is primarily responsible for the success of that organization. That core group might be a working team, an executive committee, or a board of directors. Or it could be an unofficial grouping of people from all three categories, usually consisting of no more than a dozen individuals. In this case, the application of ConnectAbility can be modified to take into account the dynamics of this core group. ConnectAbility, for the core group, increases to the degree that there is a higher degree of alignment with stated goals as well as with each other. Trust levels must be high and cooperation must be natural and uninhibited. Good dynamics within the inner circle of productivity involve deep person-to-person communication and adaptability to changing circumstances and challenges. The greater the Desired Outcome, the greater the combination making up the level of ConnectAbility. There is a strong focus on dynamics within the core group, because it is this group of individuals on whom the success of the entire enterprise depends. Without the interpersonal sensitivity and adaptability, this inner circle cannot perform to its highest potential, thereby blocking success no matter how much awareness there is to the individuals outside. Also, no matter how great the Awareness Factor of the effectiveness of the inner circle, unless they are aligned clearly with the goals of the organization (Desired Outcome), then the higher success will not be forthcoming. Finally, the greater the Desired Outcome, the greater the demand on the elements of ConnectAbility. Below are Tips for Advancing Your ConnectAbility: • Leading people is not about telling them what to do. Rather, it’s about understanding how they fit into the work environment and how they can best be understood within that context. • Don’t just listen; also hear what is said. We’ve all heard of the importance of listening to others, but hearing is the challenge, closely followed by clearly confirming that we’ve heard the essence of the other’s message. • Strive to understand others’ points of view. Achieve better two-way communication by “standing under” the other individual’s perspective of any conflict or difference of opinion. It’s easy (and less productive) to protect our status and image. It’s much more challenging (yet definitely more productive) not to let our status stand in the way. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Blink, teaches us about how quickly decisions are made by those who are good at what they do, whether experts at art or sports or business. Thin slicing is the term he uses to depict how little information such experts use to make their astute decisions. The best of them waste little time thinking about the unnecessary. When they’re trucking on all cylinders, their minds are powerhouses of instant decision making-every though a blink. In his book Strangers to Ourselves, Timothy D. Wilson writes of “the adaptive unconscious,” which “does an excellent job of sizing up the world…setting goals, and initiating action in a sophisticated and efficient manner.” At their best, core groups are made up of personalities that complement one another. The best core groups operate on this basis of “blink,” complementary personalities, unreserved honesty and clarity in making quick decisions, and in deep commitment to the Desired Outcome.