Connectedness, one of the 34 StrengthsFinder™ talent themes that Gallup has described, is often underappreciated and can even be seen as a bit flaky. People with Connectedness see patterns and typically have a sense of the connections that exist between all of humanity and even all that is within the universe. Sounds too new agey? Think about this: The power of Connectedness is its ability to integrate that which is disconnected, whether the fragments are factions of people or disparate ideas.
What can Connectedness contribute to a team? To an organization? Here's my short answer: People with Connectedness can bridge silos.
Sometimes, those silos are about people.
Recently, working with a client who is relatively new to her organization, I heard her describe what she perceived to be a preexisting tension between her department and another department. Her impression was that there was unnecessary difficulty in their collaboration, that there seemed to be an "us vs. them" mentality. Because her department and she necessarily collaborate with the other department, improved working relationships between the two departments would be extremely beneficial not only for both departments but also for the organization itself and the mission it serves. Encouraged by me to lean into her Connectedness, she set up a meeting with her counterpart in the other department, at which they focused on the outcomes the two departments need to bring about. By focusing on what they had in common (a shared goal), she helped create a bridge between these two departments that leads to their more effective collaboration.
While others involved in the situation I've described may have felt the tension between the departments, it was this particular client, with her Connectedness, who had the talent to do three things: 1) sense and name the division between the departments, 2) find what they had in common that would be the foundation for collaboration, and 3) build bridge span to the other department. The result? They are no longer operating in disconnected silos but instead are joining forces to collaborate toward specific goals.
Sometimes, the silos are about information or ideas.
As a new lawyer working in health care in a large firm, it was my responsibility to monitor new opinions from our state's highest ranking court to look for opinions that could affect our practice. Studying a new opinion that pertained to the construction industry, I saw the possibility that the opinion might be construed to apply to our health care clients, creating a new type of legal claim that could be used against our clients and giving rise to triple damages. When I took this observation to the senior lawyer in my department, he didn't see the connection. After all, the opinion related to a construction case, and we represented health care clients. It wasn't until amended petitions starting arriving at our office, all seeking those triple damages against our clients, that he realized the connection. By seeing the connection in advance, I was prepared with a legal rationale that we then used successfully to convince the court that this new type of legal claim should not apply to our clients.
When asked to explain my Connectedness, I share my filter this way: When I see all that is around me-- people, ideas, information, cultures-- it's as though I see an overlay of lines pointing between them, drawing connections. And I am hard-wired to connect everything to purpose. I naturally focus on commonalities-- what people or things have in common. To give my Connectedness its most fruitful expression, I focus on connections that have strategic significance. With my clients, I see and name patterns that are relevant to their potential and performance and the goals they're trying to accomplish. I help them spot the common ground that can be strategically leveraged for common goals and the common good. I help them connect deeply to purpose.
For those of you who don't have Connectedness, I hope you have a deepened sense of how it can contribute. And for those of you who have Connectedness, I'd love to hear your Connectedness stories. I'll bet we have some things in common. :)
For more information on Gallup's approach to Strengths, or to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder™ online, go to https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/
