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ike I mentioned earlier, your employer in this day and age is looking for someone who is not just able to do the job, but someone who understands the power of connections. Arguably, a “well connected” prospect gets the job ahead of all the others, regardless of how much they know. Also, a person that can demonstrate their willingness to get connected or use connections of whatever nature in life as they work will be deemed to be more productive than those who are not. Well, I know that is a pretty general statement to make. Probably not all jobs require this kinds of connections I am talking about. Well, I will leave you to think of which one fits that description.

Related Read: 5 Benefits of Subtle Connections in Purpose Pursuit

Perceiving the Whole

Looking at the internal working of any organism and for that matter, any organization, one realizes the need and the power for connections. For that matter were there is a disconnection of any nature, or where one part of the whole suffers, it affects the rest of the organism or the organization. This is what your boss needs you to understand fully. In other words, your boss needs you to have a “global” understanding of the organization. You should not  just be fixated to your task given and your job description if any. You should have the ability to zone out of your “job description” and perceive how the whole organization functions.

So what things does your boss want you to understand about connections?

1. Connections are Our Culture

2. Connections are our Vibrancy

The employee that understands the need for the vibrancy of an organization is the employee that understands the power of connections. Without these internal connections, there is no vibrancy in the organization. If you have ever seen a vibrant organization, you will also see how this vibrancy contributes to the bottom line. Much as this vibrancy is brought about by good leadership, the leadership also wants everyone to understand the need for each person to play their part. In other words, if you are going to be part of a vibrant entity, you too must be willing to take part in forming those vibrant connections.

Understanding Organizational Vibrancy

There is a certain atmosphere at any vibrant organization. This vibrancy is not brought about by any other thing apart from the strong connections that the organization has fostered. Therefore, you need to find out how much you can play part in this. Let me say that even in organizations where vibrancy is not there, you as an enlightened one must find a way to play some role in bringing it on. At times, change does not necessarily need the whole to change, but it can be catalyzed by the few, such as yourself. People who understand vibrancy have the following characteristics:

1. They Love What they Do

Let me tell you from the get go: If you hate your job, there is no way you are getting the vibe of vibrancy. If anything, if you hate your job, there is no way you are building conscious connections. I am a living example. I got fed up with my first job just 7 months into it. I had outgrown it but stayed on because of the fear of being “jobless”. I stayed on for a whooping 5 years. I grew a stone face and people got scared of me. When the organization expanded, they left me behind. I was visibly toxic and errant. It wasn’t until I changed that I got plugged into the vibrancy of the organization. I started loving what I did. If you hate what you are doing, you need to do the organization and most importantly yourself a favor. Set an exit strategy and get out.

2.They Love The Organization

The measure of a vibrant organization is the affinity it has to attract talented and vibrant people. People form great connections within such an organization because they love it. It is one thing to love what you do, and quite another thing to love where you do it from. I know of people who love what they do but hate the organization within which they are doing it for one reason or another. It is a two way traffic. At times, if the organization you are working for is not looking out for you, you tend to hate it even if you love what you are doing. A vibrant organization though has connections that love it because they look out for them and do not exploit them.

3. They Respect What others Do

In order to get the best out of work connections internally, that will lead to the vibrancy of the organization, one needs to respect the work of others. This comes from the recognition that everyone is unique. Unhealthy competitions at the work place cause lots of divisions and disconnections. Where those connections are severed, the vibrancy of the organization is affected. We need to learn from those who are better than we are without feeling inferior. We need to teach those that are looking up to us without feeling pompous. Your boss expects you to navigate the work life with that understanding that you are there to foster the vibrancy created by the internal connections. [ictt-tweet-inline]For the most part, people who get fired are those regardless of their talent and geniusness, directly interfere with the vibrancy of the organization.[/ictt-tweet-inline]

3. They Look out for Each Other

Your boss expects you to look out for your fellow employees. This is not something that you will be taught. This is something that you are expected to have in your psyche. The vibrancy of any organization is boosted when the connections within that organization go out of their way to care one for another. At the very core of our humanity, when we remove all that cut throat competition and targets, we are left with each other. We are left with the deep seated care that we were created with.