Focus on Cohesion

One word kept re-emerging throughout this week’s Focus on WHY podcast conversation with Alastair Greener in episode 531: cohesion. What particularly caught my attention was how Alastair used the word. Not as a throwaway, but almost as a heartbeat running through his story, his career pivots and his guiding purpose. For him, cohesion is both an outcome and a conscious intention. Something that matters in the workplace, in friendship groups, at home and within communities.

He spoke candidly about leading the Professional Speaking Association as President this year, with his theme centred around the Art of Connection, and his desire to leave the organisation “in a slightly stronger, more cohesive and more together state than it was”. It soon became clear to me that this wasn’t simply organisational language for Alastair. It was something much more fundamental to how he sees people and relationships.

For Alastair, cohesion is about creating environments where people understand each other, challenge assumptions and actually enjoy being part of something shared. His thoughts on engagement particularly struck me: “Engagement comes from a multitude of things, but one of them is cohesion. Are they having conversations? Do they get each other? Or is it based on misunderstandings, assumptions?” How often do we underestimate the impact of that?

A lack of cohesion doesn’t always look like conflict. Sometimes it’s simply people making assumptions, talking past each other or quietly feeling disconnected. Nothing appears dramatically wrong, yet something feels off. And while the friction may be subtle, the impact on happiness, relationships and productivity can be significant.

Alastair also spoke about his own desire for harmony: “I just like harmony, to be honest with you... I think that we are just better people if we're happier people, if we live in more harmonious environments.” That resonated with me because cohesion isn’t about avoiding differences or making everyone think the same. In fact, Alastair’s point was quite the opposite. It’s about being willing to listen, question our assumptions and recognise that our opinions are just that — our opinions — rather than absolute truths.

Cohesion doesn’t simply happen because people occupy the same space. It takes intention, it takes conversation and sometimes, it takes being willing to have the conversation you’ve been avoiding.

REFLECTION:

Where in your life could greater cohesion make a difference? At work, at home, in your relationships or community, where might assumptions, misunderstandings or differences be creating distance?

ACTION: 

Think of one person or group where you’d like greater connection. What assumption might you be making about them? What might you learn if, instead of judging or defending your position, you became genuinely curious about theirs?

Then start the conversation. You don’t have to agree or change your mind. Simply create space to listen, understand and allow another perspective in.

Because cohesion isn’t about everyone thinking the same. It’s about being able to think differently together.

This week, notice where you could choose understanding before judgement and connection before assumption. You don’t create cohesion by removing differences. You create it by making space for them.

Focus on Cohesion. Focus on WHY.