Creating Ally Relationships Through Trust and Care

Our Amazing Book Launch Party!

We had so much fun during our LinkedIn Live party - there was dancing, there was laughter. Huge thanks to our friend and fellow unicorn?Ben Whiting ?who emceed the party, and of course thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

If you were unable to join live then fear not - the internet keeps EVERYTHING - you can click here to?watch the replay? (or on the above image).

And see below...?#1 in HOT NEW RELEASES!!! You helped us make this happen. Thank you!

Creating Ally Relationships Through Trust and Care

Relationships are at the heart of everything, even (or especially) in business, and like all good things (a fine wine, or homemade bread) they can take time to build and develop. Unless you've put in the work, you can’t assume your colleagues and teammates will automatically trust you.

And relationships function better when you’ve invested some relational capital to nurture and develop them. Imagine how different Luke Skywalker’s response to Darth Vader might've been if Vader had taken him to at least one ball game before announcing he was his father.

While you're most likely not be battling for the fate of the galaxy in your career (though it may feel like it at times), each of us is battling for something - whether that's a promotion, recognition, health, happiness, or to place the best scrabble word you can (OK this one may just be Morag's battle). And our experience has shown that battles are best faced with others, with our friends, than alone.

Our research for?You, Me, We?has shown time and time again that when?people have best friends at work—colleagues who stick together,?in good times and bad, and who help ensure everyone makes?it through—they thrive. When they don’t, they flail and eventually?crash and burn.

Thankfully our journey to launching?You, Me, We?has not been an intergalactic battle. The strength of the ally relationships between the three of us meant we approached the combined writing process with curiosity, and fun. Throughout the process we each shared our vision for the book, the content, the impact for you, our readers. No one voice dominated. Instead each of us shared our point of view, and along the way chose to let go of our personal vision and embrace the emerging team perspective. In doing so?one plus one really?does equal three, and I believe - the force is strong with this one - the Ally Mindset practices have only got better, we've gotten better.

As we approached launch day the relationships we've built with our community, the leaders who've participated in our programs, or worked alongside us in our corporate careers came to the fore. It's because of these relationships, because of YOU, that?You, Me, We?shot to #1 in Hot New Releases on Amazon. THANK YOU.

So, how do you know whether you’re developing the kind of trust and connection that create ally relationships?

This kind of trust is intrinsically intertwined with connection. In an?HBR article ?based on data from 87,000 leadership assessments, the authors found three key elements of trust - relationships, judgment, and consistency. Guess which one impacted trust the most? (Hint: It starts with “R” and rhymes with “-elationships.”)

Trust and connection run on the same track, but they don’t magically happen (not even if you use the Force). You have to build them, and that means giving trust to others first and respecting their ability to honor your trust (even if you’ve just met them).?

It also means being human with the other person- asking questions, communicating openly, and (our personal favorite) having fun together! If you want to trust and be trusted, then every workday should be “Bring Your Human to Work Day.”?

When you choose to go first and invest relational capital in the people around you, you’ll find that trust naturally develops right alongside your ally relationships.?And when you have relationships where trust, connection, and respect flow freely, your work becomes lighter, and we all become #bettertogether .

Thanks for reading this week's newsletter. As ever, do hit reply and let us know what resonated, and of course what you think of the book! We're excited to read all your reviews.

See you all next week!

Ruby, Morag, and Eric

Order Now!