Staying grounded in the face of human connection

You might remember that my last blog focused on connection, specifically our quest for it in a divided world.

Whether it's the rise of digitisation, ideological differences or economic challenges, it can feel like more is pulling us apart than bringing us together. And this, of course, trickles into the workplace.

Leaders have the opportunity to create environments where people truly belong. Work can be more than somewhere people simply go to function – it can be a place that employees genuinely feel free, safe and excited to connect with others.

As we approach Christmas – a time when human connection is perhaps most cherished – I’ve been thinking about this more.

To reach a place where we’re ready to connect, we first need to feel grounded and regulated. If we’re grounded, we’re balanced, calm, considered and our ‘emotional’ feet are more likely to stay on the ground. As a result, we’ll enter the connection with a level head.

There are many techniques available to us to help us ‘ground’ ourselves. Perhaps I'll write more on that in another blog.

Like many things, connection is a two-way street. Everyone involved needs to play their part.

To see a genuine connection between two people, it helps if both are grounded and regulated – often we can 'sense' or feel when the other one is grounded or dysregulated. Trust works in much the same way – if we’re trustworthy, we display the behaviours that encourage others to trust us, and if we’re trusting, we are equally willing to be vulnerable and give someone a chance.

This sense of self-responsibility also displays a great ability to self-manage. And in the workplace, this is crucial for so many situations, even if we put connection aside for a moment. Self-responsibility means taking responsibility for ourselves and our circumstances, putting us in a position of choice about how to respond. It helps us to overcome challenges, be innovative, and be resilient (amidst many other things).

Self-responsibility and self-management skills come naturally to some, but for others, they can take time to develop.

These are skills that we can develop through intention, consistency and courage. When we do this, we'll create better connections, and better outcomes for businesses and those we work with.

We’ll probably get the most out of it, too.