Five Enemies of Unity
February 18, 2009
A friend of mine sent out a message on Twitter today, listing the Five Enemies of Unity, which had been discussed in a team meeting. The source is Dave Ramsey, a talk radio host who also hosts a conference called EntreLeadership. Follow the link to “Free Report” to download a pdf called “Avoiding the Five Enemies of Unity.”
According to Ramsey, the Five Enemies of Unity are:
- Poor communication
- Gossip
- Unresolved disagreements
- Lack of a shared purpose
- Sanctioned incompetence
The concept of unity strikes me as more than teamwork. It’s about being a cohesive group with shared objectives and mutual respect. Unity is something to strive for as the foundation for organizational change. Can you imagine the laser focus your organization could have if these five items were eliminated?
Inquiry: What are the enemies of unity in your organization?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please add a comment to this post.
Comments
One Response to “Five Enemies of Unity”
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Heather:
You’re right. First, before looking at what creates Unity, let’s ask what Unity is. As you say, it is something deeper than teamwork. (For me, teamwork is a manifestation of a consciousness of Unity.)
Awareness that Unity is an important dimension of reality seems to get lost in the Western world – i.e., that everything is totally interconnected and in essence One. It’s not just philosophical. It’s physics – and thus about business and work. In fact, one of my favorite quotes on the subject comes from Einstien:
““We are part of the whole which we call the universe, but it is an optical delusion of our mind that we think we are separate. This separateness is like a prison for us. Our job is to widen the circle of our compassion so we feel connected with all people and situations.”
I see a Unity Mindset as one of the five pillars of a “Noble Enterprise” that enables companies to create sustainable competitive advantage in serving all their stakeholders. (I appreciate your recent review of my book on NOBLE ENTERPRISE.)
Looking forward to further posts.
Dar Gillett