A new management theory has emerged, building the team efficiency on collective intelligence. A few words about the principles and strengths of such a method.

Yvonne O’Reilly, we hear of a new concept: Relationship Systems Intelligence… What’s the reality behind it?

“Relationship Systems Intelligence (RSI) is definitely more than a buzz word. I can see, however, how the term can leave people wondering what’s behind it. This term was created by the Centre for Right Relationship (CRR) in California that pioneered the concept of RSI. If I were to paraphrase it I would say that RSI is essentially about handling relationships in a smart and intuitive way.

The concept actually includes three levels of relationship: relationship with ourselves (emotional intelligence), relationship with others (social intelligence) and relationship within the groups to which we belong (systems intelligence). It is this third dimension – systems intelligence – which distinguishes RSI within the field of organisational development. It challenges old paradigms of how organisations work and provides rich ground for learning.

Managers and leaders are asked for ever-increasing efficiency. How is it possible in such an environment to try and focus more on the ‘human factor’?

“From my perspective, the greatest inefficiency in business today is the wasted potential we have in organisations at an individual and team level. Managers and leaders would do well to pay more attention to this. Coming out of the recent economic crisis, there are signs that employee morale and engagement is at a new low. We need to get smart about how we relate to people and how to get the best out of individuals and teams. RSI helps create this awareness and supports managers and leaders in becoming more efficient in developing and leveraging their own creative potential as well as the creative potential of their teams.

Creating collective intelligence and managing complexity needs time… and energy… Are there ways to do it easily? Without burdening more than necessary the managers, already overwhelmed?

“Firstly, it’s important to be aware that collective intelligence is actually created by relationships, not by managers. Wherever there is a relationship system of two people or more, collective intelligence already exists. The manager or leader’s role is to create the conditions together with the team for collective intelligence to thrive and to find ways to access the creative potential of the team to help resolve complex situations.

It is precisely overwhelmed managers and their teams who benefit most from learning the skills of relationship systems intelligence. RSI is about awakening skills we all have but which, for the most part, lie dormant and under-developed.

RSI opens the way to exploring what’s possible within organisations and within teams using the collective intelligence that already exists within these groups or entities. The key for managers is to be aware of collective intelligence, to believe in it and to give space for individuals and teams to express their collective insights and ideas for change. Overwhelmed managers can make their life a lot less complex and stressful by trusting and working with their teams in a systems intelligent way.

Is RSI more suitable for some specific profiles of companies? Are small or mid-sized companies able to use such methods?

“Being a systems intelligent leader is an asset for any kind of business. RSI is therefore just as applicable for small and mid-sized companies as for large businesses. The skills and techniques are the same.”