Can you truly build exceptional relationships in a professional setting? What are the secrets to effective communication and the role of social psychology in fostering strong connections?

David Bradford is a Senior Lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, having taught the legendary “touchy feely course for decades, and the author or co-author of several books. His latest work is called Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues.

Greg and David discuss the practical benefits of Stanford's T groups, where participants develop crucial skills like clear communication and conflict resolution. David explains the importance of seeing feedback as the start of a conversation rather than a critique, emphasizing the need to understand the impact of our behaviors on others. Explore the contrast between how children and adults handle conflicts and learn why genuine curiosity is key to bridging communication gaps.

*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*

Episode Quotes:

Are we building organizations to build friendships?

35:08: I think more and more leaders in an organization are realizing that building collaboration is important. Now there is a danger with building friendships, which I said before, because there are many organizations that need to cut back, are too big, are facing adverse times, and have to do cutting. So it has to be clear that we're building a relationship to get the job done. That's the purpose of an organization. We're not building an organization to have warm and fuzzy friendships; that's the means to an end, not an end in itself. And we have to realize that there are going to be times in which we're going to have a reduction in force. There are going to be times in which we get rid of people.

Organization are held by network of relationships

02:49: Organizations are held together not by the organizational chart, but by the network of relationships that people have in the organization.

On vulnerability in leadership

37:41: The research on vulnerability shows two things: leaders who are vulnerable about their core competence lose power…[38:12] So leadership, which questions your basic competence, does lose power and does lose influence, but vulnerability, which shows your humanness, is different.

Do you have an understanding of human psychology, social psychology, and cognitive psychology to have a good relationship?

08:56: In general, the more that we know, the more we can start to see them as an individual, as a unique person, which is, I think, what all of us want and which all of us are. There is no rule that applies equally to all people. So I think that the broader our knowledge, the more we can find out. What approach allows me to understand you as an individual, you as a person, and we can move beyond me treating you like an object, which you don't want and I don't think I want.

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Episode highlights

The Importance of Building Exceptional Relationships

Focus on How, Not Why

Focus on Behavior, Not the Person

Vulnerability in Leadership: A Double-Edged Sword