Human networks are often represented as objects  linked through relationships.

Our natural inclination is to focus on the qualities and value of the object – the person.

What do we know of the connections – our human  relationships.

How can we assess and improve the value and quality of our relationships?

By focusing on the  development of the individual the organization as a whole benefits.  The personal assets of the individual shape the collective collateral of the group.  People benefit both personally and communally from the soft skills they acquire for building  quality human relationships.

Each person’s attentiveness to their interactions has a cumulative effect.  This is an essential component for the development of a healthy culture from which  collective intelligence can emerge.

A social organization is the characteristic pattern of relationships within a group. Developing competencies in relationship building and engagement help us navigate the cultures we  participate in.

Communities where individuals show up as themselves, and genuinely like the people they engage with, are better able to adapt, evolve and  flourish in a changing environment.

A framework which supports the growth of human relationships includes the following:

Intrapersonal Development

The first relationship to consider is your relationship with yourself.    Who are you?   What do you value?  What are your competencies?   Self awareness  guides our  personal development, helping  us bring our best, authentic self to every interaction.

Interpersonal Relationships

The way we interact with others builds trust and connects us.  The quality of a relationship is determined by  each interaction.  It is important to understand interpersonal dynamics and the behaviors that grow strong social relationships.

Group Dynamics and Culture

The purpose and culture of a group, shapes the roles we take and our behavior within it.  As we engage in groups,  mindful of our roles and interactions, we are able to contribute effectively.  Collectively we  have a fertile environment for innovation, one that is productive and adaptive to change.

Collective Intelligence

We come together socially to do or  build something that we could not do on our own.  The many become one.  The end result is collective intelligence, a shared intelligence, that emerges from the  interaction of many individuals.

Trust is a valuable objective of our business relationships, it is the foundation of a sustainable marketplace.

Managing the quantity and quality of relationships and conversations on the web requires a sophistication of competencies. Whilst a combination of metrics, statistics, monitoring software reveal and manage trends, the ultimate arbiter of quality is trust and human engagement.

Social relationship management is about engaging in relevant conversations with clients, customers, prospects and brand champions. Essentially everyone is a customer of someone and the very experience of engaging with a brand be it in the real world or virtually, has a powerful underpinning sourced in experience and trust.

Relationship Management is most commonly associated with Customer Relationship Management (CRM).  The standard understanding of CRM is as a strategic business strategy which relate to techniques and methods for attracting and retaining customers.

According to Henk Akkermans, a co founder of Minase:

‘Most firms, especially in innovation-driven industries, operate as part of one or more supply networks. Here, they have to collaborate with various other organizations, both in a role of supplier and of customer. The speed that is required for this collaboration to be effective requires a great deal of openness about internal activities and future plans. “Transparency” is the word used these days to denote such openness. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of transparency in most supply networks. Information technology, security and language differences are the usual suspects, but the real root cause is a lack of trust, which I have found in a number of industry settings, ranging from electronics to chemicals and aerospace . If you do not trust the other side you will not share your information openly with them.’

The Public Affairs Council is the leading international association for public affairs professionals. Doug Pinkham President of  Public Affairs Council.  says:

‘That’s because openness creates opportunities for dialog with customers, shareholders, employees, local communities and government officials. If you make the effort to engage your critics – and those who may become your critics – you can correct problems before they get out of hand. Listening is the first step toward rebuilding trust.’

Without high-levels of trust, the long-term viability of businesses and organizations are in question. In creating a ‘Standard of Trust’,  Rob Peters is defining the new Trust Index, a core element of measuring relationship capital.  Rob states:

‘In this fast moving digital marketplace, relationship principles by which firms and organizations compete and collaborate are taking an increasingly important role in enabling business success. Today, do most leaders, individuals and organizations have the mindset of “Doing The Right Thing” not just for maximizing profit and revenue, but for optimizing long-term mutually beneficial relationships?’

Knowledge-based organizations base their competitiveness on knowledge and specific knowledge-related capabilities. The nature of knowledge is an important determinant enhancing understanding of firm behaviour and related organizing.

An overview of trust and trust building in networks delivered by Kirsimarja Blomqvist from Lappeenranta University of Technology

For trust to be a source of organizational competitiveness, a holistic and comprehensive development is needed. A strategic approach to trust building must consider different dimensions of trust, as well as related trust-building processes. Different types of trust are complementary and an organization actively supporting development of impersonal and interpersonal elements of trust can build stronger organizational trust among employees and other stakeholders. Even if there would be an aspiration to develop (trust capital and) trust in all stakeholders it is important to start by developing firm-internal trust in employees because of the interaction between internal and external norms and values, as she cites in this paper.

Whilst some researchers disagree whether trust can be intentionally created, clearly trust is very difficult to develop and sustain. A sort of ‘familiarity breeds mistrust’ can set in if certain boundaries are not respected or given due regard. It is however believed that the conditions (processes, routines and settings) affecting the evolution of trust may be managed. In order to do so, Blomqvist analyzes what is known of the creation and experience of trust. It becomes evident that interpersonal and inter-organizational trust creation is key and she shows some means to build trust and build a conceptual model on trust building in inter-organizational context.

An overview of trust and trust building in networks

A Video Lecture by Kirsimarja Blomqvist

Authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character, despite external pressures.

Becoming authentic is an ongoing process of self-discovery that includes realizing our personal and collective potential and acting on that potential. Part of the process is accepting  responsibility for our choices and their consequences. The process leads to congruency between our ideals, values and our actions.

Authenticity in the microcosm of the individual,  propagates to the macrocosm.  Our intention to be authentic in every interaction both individually and collectively results in resilient human relationships.   By being mindful of our interactions we enculture authenticity.

Authenticity is essential for  building sustainable communities.  When we can show up as ourselves and genuinely like the people we engage with,  then collectively,  we are better able to adapt,   find new solutions and  flourish in a changing environment.

Individual Authenticity

• Do I think for myself and speak my truth?
• What fascinates me, what potentials do I want to explore?
• Do I own the consequences of my choices?
• What qualities do I value in myself and in others?
• Is my behavior congruent with my values?
• Where is my compass pointing me to at this time?

Authentic Interaction

• Am I mindful of how my choices may influence another person?
• Do I recognize diversity and appreciate the differences in others?
• Do I interact with others with  respect and courtesy?
• How do I extend degrees of trust?
• Do I respond appropriately when a personal boundary is crossed?
• Is my behavior appropriate given my role and the interaction?
• Do I observe and process the results of my interactions?

Authentic Group Engagement

• What is the group formed to accomplish?
• What am I here to do? What is my role? What contribution is expected of me?
• Is there an expectation of mutual accountability – if so what is it?
• What strategies is the group applying to find solutions?
• How will the group negotiate an impasse should one occur?
• How can we cultivate the positive dynamics of this team?

Organisational Authenticity

• As an organisation do we mean what we say?
• How do our customers experience us?
• Is integrity infused in our products? Is quality a priority?
• How is our culture expressed in our day to day activities?

The term Chaordic was coined by Dee Hock the founder and former CEO of the VISA credit card association. He says:

“By Chaord, I mean any self–organizing, adaptive, non-linear, complex system, whether physical, biological, or social, the behavior of which exhibits characteristics of both order and chaos or, loosely translated to business terminology, cooperation and competition”

Most employees have flexible, informal or autonomous aspects of their work such as work hours, information sharing or responsibility for assignments.  Examining how a team currently self manages these tasks  provides insight  into  the underlying organizing principles, intention and relationship dynamics within the group.

Following the principles of the Chaordic design:

• The activities must be equitably owned by all participants. No member should have intrinsic preferential position. All advantage must result from individual ability and initiative.
• Power and function must be distributive to the maximum degree. No function should be performed by any part of the whole that could reasonably be done by any more peripheral part, and no power vested in any part that
• might reasonably be exercised by any lesser part.
• Governance must be distributive. No individual, institution, and no combination of either or both should be able to dominate deliberations or control decisions.
• It must be infinitely malleable yet extremely durable. It should be capable of constant, self–generated, modification of form or function without sacrificing its essential nature or embodied principle.
• It must embrace diversity and change. It must attract people and institutions comfortable with such conditions and provide an environment in which they could flourish.

Successfully moving from control and command to flexible, self organized work teams requires the intention and ability of each individual to understand the principles as outlined  above by Dee Hock and  apply them in a fashion that releases human ingenuity for the benefit of all.

To cope with changes and differences when they arise,  trust, respect, participation and altruism need to be highly valued culturally norms.  It is the quality of human relationships that provides endurance during challenging times.

The altruistic  fashion in which these principles are applied,  from human being to human being, with  respect, trust, sharing and altruistic assistance create the fertile environment where a chaordic organization can flourish.  Learning about ourselves, our relationships with others and how our behavior shapes the whole is key.

It is for this reason that we have integrated into the Relationship Management Institute’s Learning Modules the values, principles and a guiding ethos that create organizational cultures that place human values in the forefront.

Roger Martin is the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in Canada and the author of The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage (Harvard Business Press, 2009).In 2009, he was named one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world by The Times of London and in 2007 he was named a Business Week ‘B-School All-Star’ for being one of the 10 most influential business professors in the world. So when he writes, people listen and I certainly hope they are paying attention to his latest article.

Roger has embarked upon declaring the dysfunctionality of corporate life and all its ramifications.  The article entitled ‘Why modern business is bad for your mental health’ speaks specifically to the financial world but could equally find its measure when applied to any major corporation culture.

‘After all, within the course of a single decade, we had the Enron/Worldcom/Tyco/Global Crossing/Adelphia accounting scandal, the options backdating scandal, and the sub-prime mortgage scandal. This is not an accident. This is the direct result of the rules of the unhealthy community we have created.’

Many of us who have left corporate life,  jumped rather than be pushed for the very reasons he highlights. The discrepancies of personal values tallied against the inappropriate demands of a business that put profits before people.  He even embarks of outlining the possibilities of a ‘healthy culture’:

Think about it. A healthy community:

• Believes in reciprocity rather than exploitation.
• Believes in long-term relationships rather than one-off encounters.
• Protects its weakest members rather than targeting them for gouging.
• Worries about the externalities it creates rather than turning a blind eye to them.
• Discourages its members from playing games that endanger the community rather than encouraging them.

What serendipity.  RMI sets it’s very raison d’etre towards fulfilling these considerations and so I shall be paying close attention to further follow ups promised from Mr Martin pursuing this objective. Authentic cultural change includes changing people’s attitudes, values and beliefs about their work and the workplace is a gradual, evolutionary process requiring careful planning and follow-through.

Gareth Morgan describes organizational culture as: “The set of the set of beliefs, values, and norms, together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities, that represents the unique character of an organization, and provides the context for action in it and by it.” Beliefs and values are translated into behaviours and accepted working practices, in turn, manifesting the cultural climate. Culture has a powerful reach infusing the business with an intangible sense that impacts the customer. It bodes well to invest in creating healthy values that all personnel can adopt with purpose, passion and pride.

The characteristics of trustworthiness include integrity, reliability, fairness, caring, openness, reciprocality and, within appropriate caveats that does not transgress a core value set, loyalty. Organizations and institutional policies might promote a culture of trust by promoting open communication, by modeling behaving in socially responsible and ethical ways to every employee.

According to Charles Green, creator of the Trust Equation, ‘the way we use the Trust Creation Process model is really just outcomes of the principles we hold.’ What I understand Charles to impute, it that who we are and what values we hold to be true, informs how we engage and behave with others across the board.

Green maintains that the only way to become trusted is to act consistently from a set of core principles and the four specific principles governing trustworthy behavior that he cites are:

1) A focus on the Other (client, customer, internal co-worker, boss, partner, subordinate) for the Other’s sake, not just as a means to one’s own ends.

We often hear “client-focus,” or “customer-centric.” But these are terms all-too-often framed in terms of economic benefit to the person trying to be trusted.

2) A collaborative approach to relationships.

Collaboration here means a willingness to work together, creating both joint goals and joint approaches to getting there.

3) A medium to long term relationship perspective, not a short-term transactional focus.

Focus on relationships nurtures transactions; but focus on transactions chokes off relationships. The most profitable relationships for both parties are those where multiple transactions over time are assumed in the approach to each transaction.

4) A habit of being transparent in all one’s dealings.

Transparency has the great virtue of helping recall who said what to whom. It also increases credibility, and lowers self-orientation, by its willingness to keep no secrets.

According to Green, applying these principles to all of our actions will develop the fullest potential of trust that bonds and binds relationships, and thereby, builds longevity and reward born from such a strong tie.

As this erudite research on trust reveals, ‘Trust has several beneficial effects. It helps build teams, where trust acts as a bond of tying people together. It reduces energy otherwise required for controls. It helps in cases of conflict. Overall, it reduces task complexity.’

The benefits trust rewards us with professionally, socially and personally, are worthy of our time, attention and investment to explore, accomodate and demonstrate. Make no mistake. your ‘relationship capital’ is being accounted for with every interaction, so it is a wise person that conducts themselves with every meritricious endeavour of creating relationships bound and bonded in trust.

Currently relationship management, across all it’s various attributions, is poorly understood and even more abysmally executed. If the current understanding of relationship management is simply to monitor and respond to negative commentary on your reputation, your brand, your business or your services, or to follow up and cross sell when the customer or client has fallen off your radar, this is no better than shutting the stable door long after the horse has bolted it. It’s about listening, responding, reciprocating, acknowledging, modeling ethics and values, everywhere you are or your business is active.

The value of building and maintaining a reputation built on the seven principles of human givens (accountability, boundaries, respect, responsibility, honesty, support and trust) means creating cooperative alliances and rewarding relationships. This cannot be short cut, avoided, undeserved or manipulated. We are each being held to account on our behaviours in regard to our commitments and on this we stand or fall in peer assessment.

There is no excuse now, given the quantity and quality of tracking technologies and social media assets, not to create a formidable and very manageable strategy to build and sustain quality relationships and use all positive testimonials, word of mouth recommendations and quality referrals to build personal and professional capital as well as business advantage. To fail to implement such a strategy is to be asleep at the wheel in a fast moving and competitive world.

This episode has brought into sharp clarity the need for full transparency and accountantability from politicians, who are, in fact, public servants, drawing very adequate salaries, backed up with substantial pensions. It is the opinion of the Relationship Capital Institute that politicans need to bring a new level of responsible governance that forges a renewed trust, for without it, both they and the public suffer crises that stymies positive recovery in a time of considerable recession and all suffer.

I suggest that they set up a department that educates politicians on what it is to create relationship capital and how the bedrock of values that resources the building of such a necessary quality will renew and restore the peoples trust.

Reaching out to trusted friends or peers for guidance, information or recommendations around topics that bring confirmation and confidence, such as someone you might need to build a website or provide a service, has been generally restricted to people we have known or met socially. However, since the exponential expansion of virtual socialisation, it is now commonplace to solicit the opinions of those who exist within your extended network despite the fact you might barely know them. If you are lucky enough to get worthwhile responses from people who take the time to reply and guide you to some valuable providers or some new opportune connection, this is the genesis of a trusted relationship. They have stepped up and generated some ‘relationship capital’ with you.

It is important to understand how relationship capital is developed because it is along the same lines as Keith Ferazzi’s clear vision of enterprises as networks. It is a daily practice of providing a goodwill gesture to someone who maybe a friend or a complete stranger, a sort of ‘pay it forward’ philosophy at work. Trust is a beautiful yet fragile creation. Guard it well by only commiting to that which you truly believe you can execute or recommending an excellent service, person, business. This is what makes the world a better place and restores our confidence in one another against a tide of lies and corruption that have driven us to the brink of cynicism.

Trust-based Networks In this first of four segments, Myra Gorman, President and CEO of Community Analytics, explains how trust plays a role inside networks. You can find all the videos in this series on the same Blip TV link.