The entirely overlooked catalyst of performance in organisations

One of the best "strategy' books we've ever read - is actually not a "strategy' book at all.

Belonging is written by a renown sports performance coach, Owen Eastwood.

It's largely a personal account of how some of the world's best teams managed to radically elevate their on-field performance through the development of the team's mindset.

Far from it being an overly complicated set of recipes as to how performance can be unlocked in individuals, it simply outlines the power of a basic premise of human reality.

When individuals are a part of a group in which "no matter how they are or how they act or behave"; no matter "the value of their individual contribution"...if they feel that they will always unconditionally belong to that group...they perform to the best of their ability.

The question constantly nagging people is:

"Do I belong here?"

If the honest answer is in anyway conditional - the individual will feel as though their survival is under threat, causing anguish, pain, torment and a lack of confidence.

This mindset - you will appreciate - is the exact opposite of our pervasive, individualistic, conditional modern approach.

And after reading the book - a dawning, a moment of complete mental clarity, may well accompany your gentle shutting of the last page.

The massive unchallenged problem that almost 100% of businesses face is that people feel anxious when they fear exclusion based on their performance. The anxiety causes nervousness that creates the perfect conditions for poor performance.

Eliminate the fear - by explicitly and purposefully building a culture where belonging is valued above all else - and the gloriousness of the power of human possibility and potential is unleashed.

Obviously - in our very measured, data-driven, KPI-obsessed workplaces this kind of radical thinking is mostly viewed as scandalous, but it makes total logical sense.

The amount of lip service that is paid to concepts like "team building" and "community", words that get casually used with zero understanding of what they really mean, or any kind of intention of manifestation, has made these concepts now totally meaningless.

But the simple commitment to belonging is profoundly powerful.

Now that we think about it - it might be useful to try get hold of Owen Eastwood and have him on as a podcast guest...or something of that nature.

Otherwise - if your personal levels of mental distraction allow for it - do yourself a favour and read the book.

Previously (yes, it's related) on Cherryflava: