Emotional Health

Five Ways to Foster More Cohesion this Week

February 3, 2024

Last year, our family visited Costa Rica where the national mantra is Pura Vida! It’s not just on t-shirts in the airport; everyone says it. Ask for directions and a Costa Rican will conclude with “Pura Vida!” Literally translated, it means “pure life” and it’s come to symbolize the simple, cheerful outlook and lifestyle of what is often called the happiest country in the world. Beyond that, it creates a national cohesion like none I’ve ever seen.

Cohesion?

When asked recently to identify the biggest problem many countries, including the U.S., are facing today, a very well-known political commentator responded without hesitation: lack of cohesion.

It’s not just a problem for countries, but for communities, workplaces and families. Perhaps you can see instances of it around you today: competing priorities, avoiding real conversation, lacking common cause, etc.

Here’s just one example: In 2021 McKinsey asked managers why employees had left their companies. Most managers believed it was for more pay. But when McKinsey asked the employees, they said that they didn’t feel recognized and valued by their managers.

Lack of cohesion.

Leadership expert Todd Davis explains that an organization’s greatest asset isn’t its people; rather, it’s the relationships between its people. It’s their cohesion.

Here are five simple ways that you and I can build more cohesion in our relationships:

Commit to shared practices. Sports teams and faith traditions might be the best examples of cohesion through consistent communal activities. Spring training for Major League Baseball players and regular sacraments built into religious worship keep people doing things together which forms the basis for their shared identity. What shared practices do you do at home, with friends or at work that build a shared identity?
Tell stories that explain shared values. Nordstrom and Hy-Vee are two American companies that have a reputation for world-class customer service. At both companies, employees hear specific stories of amazing service by other team members during their onboarding process and regularly throughout the year. These stories become legendary and paint a picture for everyone of what matters most. How do you cultivate and share stories that create unified focus?
Repeat mantras. Daniel Coyle describes in his excellent book The Culture Code how cohesive cultures are often built around “Corny Catchphrases.” My first exposure to this concept was my initial job out of university where managers at our firm would consistently remind me that we “work hard and play hard” and that, with customers, we should “start small and scale fast.” These repeated phrases, often stated in a memorable way, remind everyone how things should be done. What mantras do you have that create cohesion?
Spend quality time together. This one seems obvious but it’s often the hardest due to geographically distributed teams, remote work, email and smartphones, and busy schedules. To mitigate these factors, our team has established regular cadences of time to connect, not just to report on financials, give business updates or manage our work, but to appreciate each other and learn about each other. How do you make sure to get quality time with the people that matter most?
Get along. The great Kenny Chesney song by that name says, “Get along while we can; Always give love the upper hand.” Cohesion depends upon different people with different priorities managing to work and live together in mutual trust and respect. Grab a copy of Dale Carnegie’s classic book and set your intention to more consistently apply daily principles for dealing with people. How are you getting along with people at home and work?

Want to get closer to being one of the happiest countries, communities, workplaces or families in the world? Want to bring and keep people together and focused on what matters most? Let’s each do our part to build cohesion this year. It’s pura vida!