Every organisation needs a Head – the leader who has the vision, provides the direction and ensures coordination of the whole body. A Head alone is not sufficient to achieve anything. It requires arms and legs to reach the desired goal and make a difference.
Like the human body, every organisation needs a strong Backbone, to stand upright and be capable of moving, jumping and running. An organisational backbone is the processes and structures put in place to ensure the effective operation of the body as a whole. Having a strong set of processes should not constrain – as with a healthy backbone it should allow free movement.
Feeling nervous?
Our body transmits messages to and from the Head using an intricate Nervous System. This is the organisation’s communication network. Ineffective communication renders an area of the body numb, and unable to participate. Communication should, as with the Nervous System, be free flowing in both directions.
Messages from the Head enable each key pert to respond in a coordinated and effective way, and messages protecting the body (such as the hand feeling excessive heat that could injure it, are returned to the Head for analysis and response.
I love how it is called the Nervous system – we should be equally nervous about the effectiveness of our communication, and have a nervous energy about us in ensuring we communicate well!
Our lifeblood
Our Arteries are the lifeblood of our company, pumping our enthusiasm, which flows from the heart of our organisation, to every area of the body.
The Heart acts as our engine, and not just sustains the livelihood of our company, but refreshes minute by minute the health of our Muscles, which keep us strong, and able to achieve amazing things.
We said the Head cannot achieve anything without the rest of the body, but nothing can operate without the Head and the Heart functioning. If the Head provides the direction, and is reliant upon a great leader, the Heart is the willingness, cooperation and enthusiasm of all employees, working in in a coordinated and collaborative way to create a single, powerful heartbeat.
Finally we need our Lungs to ensure we remain fresh, and do not rely upon the stale air of introspectiveness. Deep breaths of fresh air regenerate our workforce, aerating the flow of blood throughout our organisation, drawing in the vital supply that enables us to breathe, and never become suffocated by ourselves.
Every part counts
The Head relies upon each constituent part of our body to achieve anything, and every uncoordinated part of our organisation relies upon the clarity of the messages from the Head. Only then can we run towards the goals we set ourselves, be effective as an entity, and fulfil our potential
