Every Living Organism has to feed. So do Living Organisations. What does your organisation feed on? Where does it get its energy from? Some organisations feed on themselves. Others feed on their customers, or devour their suppliers. These feeding behaviours do not lead to sustainable business advantage.

So what behaviours, policies, practices and procedures lead to healthy nutritional intake? The energy boosters in an organisation are eight-fold.

•  People give of their energy when they feel the environment is low on threat, but high on energy. Work must be an exciting place to be whilst being a safe enough environment to risk stretching outside our self-imposed comfort zones.

•  Positive energy comes from clear, open communication. Knowledge is a form of power or energy. When there is an open culture, this prevents the organisation feeding upon itself through gossip & grapevine. There is also a huge release of energy when conflicts are resolved openly and skilfully. A culture in which individuals feel free to express their values without ridicule increases the sense of share ownership that drives the business forward.

•  Feeling empowered to make decisions and take risks, to try new ideas and to share responsibility in the welfare of the whole business turns employees into stakeholders.

•  There are two major human sources for energy: within ourselves, and by sharing with others. By their very nature, organisations are collective bodies. Interpersonal or Social Intelligence is a potential source of unlimited 'fusion' energy. Living Organisations know how to tap into the hive-mind; the well-being of the individual is married to the well-being of the whole. There is good 'chemistry' within the team.

•  Congruence - being in harmony with our values and ideals - is another powerful and sustainable energy source. We all have experienced the discomfort of doing a task that conflicts with our values or motivation. Living Leaders recognise that people are at their best when the responsibilities of their roles match their values and goals. Living Organisations are 'game' free - pursuing instead the high goals of 'authenticity'.

•  The brain is built for one major mission: to learn. A mind that has stopped learning is heading for decay. However, there is a huge difference between naturally successful learning and institutionalised learning. Our natural learning style is by immersion. This is how we learn our native tongue. Living Organisations put learning at the top of the corporate agenda. They make learning work by putting it to work. Off-line learning is supported by on-site integration within the supportive low-threat, high-energy environment that epitomises the 'living' culture.

•  There is no sense of 'us' and 'them' when it comes to the intellectual capital of a Living Organisation. Leaders are liberated from the tyranny of having to be right all the time, and, instead recognise that the best ideas can come from the staff who are immersed in the challenges that face the business.

•  Lozanov, the 'father' of Accelerated Learning believes that all barriers to learning are self-imposed. By way of contrast, more energy is liberated when we break the chemical bonds of limiting beliefs. Living Organisations support a culture where limitations are challenged.

Summary

A Living Organisation will 'feed' on the nutrition of open communication, co-operation, life-long learning, and empowerment. One way to guarantee value-added service to our clients is to add our values to the marketing mix. Living Organisations have a mission for life.

Malnutrition happens when the culture supports isolationism, secrecy and power-struggles. True survival of the fittest comes from getting fit - rather than annihilating all competitors for the energy 'currencies' in the organisation.