Making Real Connections (HBR Women at Work Series)

1

Sisterhood Is Trust

A conversation with Tina Opie and Beth Livingston

Emotional vulnerability makes high-quality relationships at work possible. When we’ve built trust and understanding with colleagues, we’re more likely to be productive and engaged. Developing trusting relationships with the women we work with, particularly with those who are different from us in some way, takes care and time. But the effort is worth it—both personally and professionally. When we connect, we feel less alone in our individual struggles, and we’re better equipped to push for equity.

Tina Opie, an associate professor at Babson College, and Beth Livingston, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, are studying relationships among colleagues whose cultural ...