CHAPTER 6
The Human Touch
We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing!
—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
It’s very difficult to build trust in an antiseptic environment, no matter how “professional” the people are or how successful the company is. Though I’ve talked about trust from a strategic perspective, creating it is not purely a business process. Without empathy, flexibility, and humor, trust won’t grow.
In a company of workaholics, there’s not sufficient time or interest to build relationships. In a results-obsessed culture, the focus on short-term profits makes it a minor crime to do anything that doesn’t contribute to profitability. In a strict, by-the-numbers organization, the flexibility necessary to meet people’s ...
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