Organisational Anatomy

People widely consider their health as their most important asset. When we are healthy, we have energy to strive; we have the strength to perform and deliver without distractions. When we feel good, we can enjoy the fruits of our labour and our minds are free to confidently explore new possibilities.

However, any little niggle or dysfunction in any part of our body can put us out of kilter. We may still function, but start being distracted. Our body wants us to listen and act. If we listen, identify the true source of the symptom and find effective remedies quickly, we can rebalance the system. If we let time pass, we allow things to linger, deteriorate and spread, issues will be increasingly harder to remedy and perfect health more difficult to be regained. There are things we can actively do to protect us from ill health and build resilience, just as there are effective medical interventions that can help us recover more quickly.

An organisation is a system, just like a body, with interconnected sub-systems. Whilst we are not medics, we draw on extensive research in this field. Exploring the parallels allows us to illustrate the holistic approach required to build up organisational strength and maintain wellbeing through preventative measures, for individuals, sub-systems and the organisation as a whole.

Brain & Nervous System – Designated & Distributed Leadership

Whilst the brain is the core mass of nerve tissue that integrates sensory information and directs motor responses, it is integrally linked to the overall nervous system just like executive leadership and the rest of the management population within an organisation. Every business needs ‘brain power’ at the top but it does not only refer to cognitive ability. Board leadership also needs to respond emotionally and be able to regulate in a balanced way. The optimal function of the executive team is a prerequisite to maximising a company’s performance but those who make it happen are the individuals within the operational management structure. The nervous system is a highly complex part of our bodies that coordinates all our actions and transmits vital signals to and from various parts of the body. Maintaining top levels of capability, capacity and fitness for both key leadership groups are crucial but often it is the link between the two that is neglected.

Digestive System – Organisational Flow

The digestive system is a series of connected organs through which food and liquid passes to be broken down into the manageable building blocks the body needs to sustain itself and grow. It also acts as the vehicle to transport unneeded waste away. The parallel we see with organisations is an organisation’s unique value chain which converts inputs to outputs. As with the digestive system, it is not one organ or part of an organisation alone that is responsible, more the specific role each department or division plays, how these are connected and the flow between them which are the most relevant. Our deep expertise in organisation design and development equips us to help you hone collaboration to maintain focus on optimising the input/output relationship across all departments. We ensure you deliver the optimal “bespoke nutrition”, practices and behaviours, to ensure your organisation thrives and can grow healthily. We also help you elegantly identify and expel any toxic waste, behaviours and processes, that would otherwise slow your business down.

The Muscular System – Agility and Endurance

The muscular system is responsible for the movement of the human body. There are three types of muscles: visceral or involuntary smooth muscles that contract to move matter through organs; cardiac muscle which is also involuntary and is responsible for pumping blood through the heart; and skeletal muscles which contract when we control them consciously to create movement. We can actively work on our muscles and grow them to build stamina and flexibility. To perform at optimum level we require consistent, purposeful exercise and practice. Short bursts on occasion are less effective. If we want to maintain headroom to deal with competitive situations or the pressures of unexpected events, all actions to deliver strong routine performance must be automatically generated by muscle memory. Similarly, in an organisation, management and leadership effectiveness are the key levers which when exercised effectively work to propel an organisation forward in a nimble, agile fashion. The most efficient way to build muscle is through resistance training. We apply the science of increasing stamina coupled with a deep understanding of how best to develop skills and change behaviours in both time and attention-challenged contexts.

Cells – People

A cell is the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all organisms. Cells are the smallest units and therefore often described as the “building blocks of life”. A body is made up of cells, each organised in a different part of the body responsible for different functions. However, each cell itself has a lifecycle and has to relate to the others surrounding it as well as withstanding the pressures impacting on it. The health and resilience of each individual cell has a role to play in the overall functioning of each organ and the overall organism. The parallel we see is with each of your employees. Without employees there is no organisation. Each employee has their place, value and specific role to play. If their function is reduced by personal or work stressors, the pressure easily shifts to their colleague and can spread further from there, slowing down, destabilising and negatively impacting performance. We each have to be healthy, mind and body, and resilient to deliver optimally. We work with you to ensure your key talent is equipped – mindset, knowledge and behaviours – to perform with agility and withstand unhelpful pressure. When unavoidable individual stressors do strike, we help individuals by coaching them through choppy waters as well as supporting your organisation to successfully navigate potential disruptions caused by “cellular distress”.

Skeletal System – Infrastructure, Parameters and Role Design

The skeletal system includes all of the bones and joints in the body. The skeleton acts as a scaffold by providing support and protection for the soft tissues that make up the rest of the body. In an organisation the explicit and implicit organisation structure mirrors the skeleton, providing organisation and a frame to define and support. Examine this more closely and each bone is comprised of cells which too have a unique contributory structure, just as each role’s design contributes to the overall body architecture. How our bones fit together give us our unique shape and the space we take up in our environment. Our expertise in organisation and role design ensures that we work with clients to ensure they are the right size and shape to succeed. Putting too much weight onto your joints is just as damaging as insufficient nourishment for your bones. Important for joint health is to keep moving. We keep you energised to focus on progress. 

Heart – Culture and Purpose

Though technically part of the cardiovascular system, the heart metaphorically rather than medically is associated with feelings and a sense of belonging. In organisations key drivers of employee engagement and performance are a compelling inclusive culture and aligned personal and organisational purpose. Like the metaphorical heart, the culture of an organisation is not explicitly defined, more implicitly through the collection of values, expectations, and practices that guide and inform the actions of all team members. However, like the actual, anatomical heart, it is in culture and purpose where it all comes together and feeds out again. It is the collection of traits that make your organisation what it is and unique. Organisational purpose is the North Star which serves to guide how you achieve your objectives. The right culture will attract and retain key talent, get it wrong and you will lose those you need in the talent pool. An unclear purpose leaves employees without the necessary compass to make aligned decisions. We have experience in building sticky cultures, ones which help further your objectives by attracting and retaining the talent you need to succeed and naturally repelling those who are a poor fit and would slow you down or cause blockages. We understand the importance of a clear and compelling purpose. We work with you to capture hearts as well as minds.

Sensory Organs – Business Intelligence and Reading the Signs

Our sensory organs, eyes, ears, tastebuds, skin all interact directly with the external environment and identify what is happening in the world around us as well as checking in on how we are doing internally. These insights give us informed choices on how to behave and what to do to avoid danger, keep healthy and thrive.  There is a vast amount of information, the challenge is to broaden the datasets to include relevant meaningful insights but not swamp us; key is working out which is the most relevant and how these are connected. The parallels we see in organisations are the systems, people and processes responsible for collecting, analysing and applying business metrics. Not only do sensory organs pick up valuable information that we use for ourselves, they also give out signals to the external world about our wellbeing. At the individual level, we equip your employees to pick up signals from colleagues about their wellbeing and identify early appropriate intervention and support. At the organisational level, there are many different types of business intelligence, our expertise is in ensuring that the people metrics you use are the most timely, relevant and dynamic to enable behaviours and decisions to drive the business forward and anticipate shocks for early intervention.

Circulatory System – Information Flow and Inclusiveness

The circulatory or cardiovascular system consists of the heart, the pumping device, and a closed system of vessels. As the name implies, blood contained in the circulatory system is pumped around a closed circuit of vessels as it passes again and again through the various “circuits” of the body, carrying nutrients and oxygen to where they are needed, flushing waste away and keeping temperature and pressure constant. This mechanism ensures an optimal environment in each cell regardless of differing demands. The balanced regulation, homeostasis, of the entire body depends on the continuous and controlled movement of blood through the thousands of miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries. Just as homeostasis in organisms depends on the healthy functioning of the circulatory system, so the balanced functioning of the organisation depends on the cultural messages, values and business critical information efficiently delivered to and permeating every ‘tissue’ and ‘cell’. With an organisational lens, the circulatory system equates the internal formal and informal information flow, towards, away and between different parts of the business, as well as the processes designed to support this. Perfectly designed, targeted communication flows avoid the emergence of information blockers, unhealthy power balances and departments or individuals feeling isolated. We help you identify and clear communication blockages and unhelpful behaviours. We translate our understanding of dynamic and effective internal communication to ensure your employees are engaged, included and informed – and genuine diversity is sustained.

Our panel constantly reviews the latest academic research and insights obtained from practical implementation. Our panel signposts and “predigests” the articles we believe are the most relevant to you in our Curated Insights section. Our goal is to help you prioritise valuable resources and move your business forward. We use this to underpin our “preventative strategy” approach to build resilience and agility so that you not just survive, you thrive, whatever life throws at you.

If you require direct practical support we provide the right first aid kit to resolve and eradicate burning issues, followed by working deep to immunise you from recurrence. We work across the spectrum from pragmatic treatment of symptoms to partnering with organisations to maintain long-lasting fitness.

Taking care of and investing in your organisational fitness ensures neither you nor your teams need to break their backs.