How to Build Better Work Relationships

Incorporating play into team dynamics can boost innovation and adaptability in product development.

\"We are not just machines, we are mammals and mammals play. Play is the most important adaptation for uncertainty. It is the way we practice uncertainty is by playing.\"

• Use play to foster creativity and manage uncertainty.
• Encourage playful activities to enhance team cohesion.
• Recognize play as a tool for innovation and problem-solving.

Remote work challenges founders to find ways to restore nonverbal communication and spontaneous interactions.

\"We lose the interstitial time. I miss the walk to get a coffee and the catching up, the ability to read body language and pick up on nonverbal. And now we're on Zooms, and by and large we disappear from each other.\"

• Create virtual spaces for informal interactions.
• Encourage video use to capture nonverbal cues.
• Acknowledge the need for spontaneous connection in remote teams.

Managing multigenerational teams presents unique challenges and opportunities for founders in team building.

\"What is unique to the workplace at this moment... it has five generations working together. We used to have five generations living together, but that no longer happens in the West. But we work together.\"

• Recognize the diversity in age and experience within teams.
• Foster understanding across generational differences.
• Leverage the strengths of each generation for team success.

Scaling ideas requires humility and openness, key traits for founders looking to expand their impact.

\"Even when I sound very confident, I am sure of nothing. Some people are in the public square convinced that they are right and they have the answer. ... I give space for the debate, for the doubt, for the dilemma, for the complexity.\"

• Embrace uncertainty and be open to dialogue.
• Present ideas confidently but remain receptive to feedback.
• Allow space for complexity and differing perspectives.

In today's business environment, relational intelligence is a key competitive advantage for founders.

\"Relationships is the competitive edge at this moment. It's the one thing for the time being that AI cannot compete with yet.\"

• Develop relational intelligence to differentiate your company.
• Foster strong relationships to enhance team performance.
• Recognize the human elements that technology can't replicate.

Embracing and understanding conflict can lead to better team performance and decision-making.

\"You don't necessarily need to know what people are fighting about. Because you want to find out what they're fighting for. The subject is irrelevant.\"

• Focus on underlying issues, not just surface disagreements.
• Understand team members' needs and motivations.
• Use conflict as an opportunity for growth.

As AI becomes more prevalent, understanding its impact on human relationships at work is crucial for product development.

\"We are flawed people...what AI is trying to offer us is a flawless reality. But we are people who touch, who smell, who look, who listen, who whisper. We have a whole sensorial world... We are not just machines, we are mammals and mammals play.\"

• Recognize that human connection involves sensory experiences AI can't replicate.
• Design products that complement human relationships, not replace them.
• Emphasize human uniqueness in the AI era.

With remote teams, building strong relationships requires intentional efforts to foster connection and communication.

\"You have to create intentional, premeditated interactions. And that's different ways of running meetings. That's part of where the cards come in, start every meeting with one of these questions, rather than just with, 'OK, who has the report?'\"

• Design meetings to include personal interactions, not just tasks.
• Use tools or prompts to encourage team bonding.
• Recognize that remote work needs deliberate efforts to build connections.

Building strong teams requires relational intelligence, which directly impacts company culture and performance.

\"Companies with strong relational intelligence have a better culture. If they have a better culture, they have better engagement, and if they have better engagement, they have higher performance.\"

• Prioritize developing relational skills within teams.
• Recognize that strong relationships boost engagement and productivity.
• Invest in tools and practices that enhance relational intelligence.

Co-founder conflict is a major cause of startup failure. Understanding how to manage these relationships is crucial for success.

\"We know that 65% of startups fail because of relationship breakdowns between founders. Yes, founder conflict.\"

• Founders should discuss previous business relationships and endings.
• Open dialogues about expectations can prevent misunderstandings.
• Building strong personal relationships among founders is vital.