Trust-Based Relationships in Business

It's not personal; it's business.

Wasn't that the mantra of the last era in business? Surely, folks are still holding fast to the ideal that the ends justify the means.

Take off the gloves and throw yourself into the fight. At any cost, make sure your company comes out on top.

And how did that paradigm work out for us? Looking at the state of the economy these past few years, I would say not very well. Looking at the reports of increasing stress-related health problems, such as depression, obesity, and heart disease, plaguing the United States, I would say not very well.

My mentor and friend, Mitch Anthony, an ad guy with a conscience, agrees. In his post "Uncovering the Logic of Deep Change, " he writes:

The time has come to look beyond the four walls of existing enterprises and instead focus on connecting people across large numbers of institutions, shaping much broader ecosystems of participants and helping them to build long‐term trust‐based relationships that encourage and enable a new kind of human synergy.

Off the record: It IS personal and it IS business, and trust-based relationships are the foundation of the new world. Like it or not, we've got to start tearing down the walls that separate us from our colleagues, clients and competitors. "Competition" is old-school. Collaboration is the way of the future.

I, for one, am forging connections with professionals who, in the old paradigm, I would have considered competitors/threats. The experience is enriching, enlivening, and increasing my career satisfaction. These mini-"think tanks" bring me a wealth of camaraderie and knowledge, and stimulate my creative juices, leading to a higher quality product for my clients.

I invite you to join the new paradigm, and share your experience with collaboration here.

Read "Uncovering the Logic of Deep Change."