connection is everything
I have recently finished reading Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta, which he wrote in response to many requests to turn his academic knowledge and research papers into a book that could be shared with wider communities.
In my opinion, this is a book that could change the world if only people would listen. I resonated so deeply with the concepts that he shares, predominantly those of connection, community, story sharing and the interrelation of whole ecosystems and smaller ecosystems within, of which we are one small part, despite so many people today taking the “l-am-greater-than” approach.
This “I-am-greater-than” or ego-driven approach is responsible for so much devastation in the name of progress and, despite appearances to the contrary, ultimately leads to failure.
Whilst Sand Talk is an examination of the Indigenous culture and approach to society, so much of the thoughts shared could be translated into the business world. The Aboriginal systems of culture, society, rules and laws rest in respect for environment, reading and understanding signs and events (in nature), recognising and great respect for interconnecting relationships, listening, sharing stories to give context to concepts, collaborative extension to ideas and working together to support community, ultimately in guardianship of our world.
If these concepts are translated into a business context then we remove the competitive, win-at-all-cost attitude that seems to prevail in so many workplaces.
Instead we would have a workforce that exists to collaborate and work towards a common goal, that looks after each other’s mental and physical well-being, that values and supports customers with gratitude for their patronage, that respects the earth and works towards minimising any negative impact, and extends a welcome hand and inclusion to those who serve them as an organisation and provide their space to conduct business.
When an organisation looks holistically at all its business relationships and works towards understanding, respect, communication and support in all of them, then they can truly start to increase impact and create improvements in all areas of their organisation, including their own success.
Imagine how exponential that impact would become if all organisations took this approach, creating business well-being from the inside out, interconnecting with other organisations, expanding and amplifying that collaborative spirit and working together to preserve an innovative and sustainable future for all.
If you would like to take your organisation on this holistic relationship journey, get in touch to discuss our modcomMS® framework and how it can help you communicate and collaborate with all your stakeholders.
And, if you read just one book this year, make sure it’s Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta. Your business, and probably the world, will thank you.
Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
