Organizational Intelligence™

What is Organizational Intelligence®?

We’re all familiar with the terms IQ and EQ, which refer to someone’s “Problem Solving Intelligence” (IQ) and “Emotional Intelligence” (EQ). Yet, none of those keep in mind the specifics of interpersonal dynamics, how to advance your career or how to operate successfully within organizations and businesses. Ideally, you need a bit of both, and also understand the context in which you operate. IQ and EQ are mostly about the person without taking into account context.

Organizational Intelligence® is the art and science of knowing how organizations and people operate, and how to respond and position yourself accordingly for maximum results. 

When you have Organizational Intelligence®, you are aware of interpersonal positioning, the context in which you operate, the office politics that are going on, and how to manage and influence the behavior of others in the workplace, in order to get the professional results you’re looking for. All of this requires a variety of insights; everything from knowing yourself and the people around you, to understanding the game of interpersonal positioning and how businesses operate.

This is what we have been specializing in the past 40 years: Understanding human behavior and decision making, particularly in a professional setting. Why do people do what they do? How will they organize their work and communicate with others? How do they perceive their role and their context? All of these elements play an important role in predicting behavior and performance at work. In short, it’s all about people’s organizational intelligence®.

How can you increase your Organizational Intelligence®?

1. Read Linda Sommer’s book “Beyond Office Politics: The Hidden Story of Power, Affiliation and Achievement in the Workplace“, available on Amazon. This book will provide you with a great introduction to office politics and interpersonal positioning.
2. Get to know yourself better. The Sommer Survey is a great tool to better understand how you position yourself at work, and what drives you at work. Understanding your own behavior, default ways of behaving and responding, and how you communicate, will provide you with great leverage to adapt to your circumstances in the most optimal way.
3. Book a coaching session with us, in combination with the Sommer Survey. The debrief of your report will provide you with great insights into how and why you’re successful in what you do, what you can improve, and what you can do to get ready for the next level.
4. We have developed a few training modules around Organizational Intelligence®. In these training modules we provide clear insights into human behavior, explain how people position themselves, how office politics work, why people in companies do what they do, and how to be more prepared for a variety of situations you may encounter at work. In short, everything you need to develop your Organizational Intelligence®

Want to know more? Reach out to us!