As we have struggled to cope in recent years with greater competition for jobs, a global financial crisis and increasing economic uncertainty, people are now beginning to recognise that we have to move towards a more open, collaborative way of interacting with others around us. The dog-eat-dog world of the late 20th century lies, for most people, far in the past, and companies are encouraging their employees to work together more than they have before, breaking down silo-style management systems.
Being transparent and comfortable sharing vulnerability with the right people, in the right way, allows us to enhance not just our sense of wellbeing but also our creativity, productivity, mental resilience and the likelihood of achieving our goals. It is important that each of us understands the role we have to play in making our whole network of connections effective and reciprocal. There is still a great deal of reticence to open up to our networks but the culture is changing and people are increasingly recognising the power of sharing.
In Just Ask, Andy Lopata explores the change in mindset needed to embrace the power of our networks. He discusses the impact that transparency can have on individual and collective achievement, and illustrates with case studies based on exclusive interviews how it has already affected people from all walks of life. The successes, failures and challenges faced by the interviewees reveal key tips on developing strong, trust-based networks.
Based on psychological and management insights, Just Ask is grounded in reality, belying the myths that you need to be positive all the time to achieve your goals and that the most successful people are self-sufficient in order to provide advice and tools that are practicable and manageable.
