The Future-Proof Workplace

Chapter 5RelationshipsOur Connected Future

No man is an island entire unto itself.Each is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

—John Donne

Business is built on relationships, whether with employees, with customers, or with other key stakeholders.

You cannot be successful in business, or in life, unless you are also successful in cultivating the personal and professional relationships on which these depend. The organizations and individuals who successfully navigate this new work order are those who are paying attention to how work gets done—by building effective relationships.

And no, there's not an app for that.

Building relationships still happens the old-fashioned way, one conversation and one interaction at a time. It's the human to human connection from which everything else builds.

We are in a transition phase in terms of how relationships are valued in the workplace. The percentage of workers who come from the traditional “business is business” mind-set is still large. However, as they approach retirement age, the next generation of workers is stepping forward and the pace of change will accelerate.

The future of work will center on the fluid workforce. This fluid workforce consists of teams and individuals who can come together rapidly, build trust, enable information sharing, and collaborate to deliver a successful result.

Yes, technology plays a major role in team communication, but the more things change, the more things stay the same. Business is personal. ...