Relationships are the atomic units of companies
James Clear writes:
Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.
In companies, relationships are the atomic units.
Think about it: companies are collections of people. Each can produce individually, but it’s really the sum of collective efforts that drives progress.
And that boils down to the quality of 1:1 interactions. Without relationships, a company is just a crowd.
If you want to know whether an organization is fragile and toxic or resilient and adaptable, examine the thousands of relationships within.
Surprisingly, though, we don’t pay much attention to the layer between the individual and the group.
We read about how to run executive meetings, but what about the relationships between executives? How to give and receive feedback has been covered extensively, but what about how to have healthy conflict and nurture relationships for the long-run?
Many startups recruit star VPs but fail to build productive bonds, harming the business. But others succeed in gelling unlikely pairs into trusting relationships, even friendships.
The quality of relationships within a company determines the quality of the company itself.